Beneath the Blue Sky
by Arekuzanra
Summary: AkuRoku - "Let's meet again, in the next life." A single promise was made. Neither of them remembers this promise, because it is a new life, after all… But it's not to say that they can't fulfill that promise without knowing it. ON HIATUS
1. Shocking Blue and Dancing Flames

**Beneath the Blue Sky**

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts and all related characters belong to Square Enix.**  
Rated:** T+ (15+)  
**Pairings:** (Main) Axel x Roxas, (Side) Riku x Sora, (Hints of) Zexion x Demyx / Leon x Cloud  
**Chapter Word Count:** 3,492  
**Beta'd by: **Karinta24

**Authoress Notes: **I thought I would adjust the way I did my authoress notes. Not much to say, though, for the first chapter, so enjoy!

**IMPORTANT NOTE: **As of October 7, 2010, this story is on a hiatus due to lack of ideas for this story. I apologize for inconvenience, but I have written myself into a hole that I'm not sure if I can write myself out of. I hope I can be forgiven, and I hope my future stories will be able to make up for the incompletion of this story. Please read at your discretion.

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**Chapter One: Shocking Blue and Dancing Flames**

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Sora. This boy travelled through different worlds, destroying beings called Heartless with a powerful weapon of light called the Keyblade. His goal was to be reunited with his best friends, Riku and Kairi. Many obstacles came in his way. Riku sold his soul to the darkness, believing Sora had replaced him with new friends and that the darkness would help him retrieve what had been lost. Kairi's heart was taken during the destruction of their home, Destiny Island.

Sora fought hard to find his friends, and soon came to a confrontation with Riku. During this confrontation, it was revealed to Sora that Kairi's heart rested within him. A fight ensued and Riku was defeated. However, the darkness continued to consume Riku until he was taken over by a Heartless named Ansem. He disappeared, leaving behind a dark Keyblade, known as the Keyblade of People's Hearts. Sora took the dark Keyblade, knowing of its power to unlock hearts, and used it on him self to release Kairi's heart, thus becoming a Heartless.

Because of this, a certain Nobody was born from the powerful will of Sora. Body and soul came together to form what lacked a heart. However, this Nobody also lacked its original's memories because Sora was saved from the darkness by Kairi.

Wandering aimlessly and lost, the Nobody was found by Organization XIII, a group of powerful Nobodies, and was given his own name.

Roxas.

Since then, so much has happened. Empty lives were lived. Broken friendships were formed. Fake emotions began to feel real. A few certain Nobodies began to feel whole, even without being with their original selves.

In the end, a single promise was made. Neither of them remembers this promise, because it is a new life, after all… But it's not to say that they can't fulfill that promise without knowing it.

"_Let's meet again… In the next life"_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Headache.

He had a pounding headache that refused to go away. He had woken rather abruptly that morning, a name on the tip of his tongue, though it was lost as he found himself in the world of reality. He couldn't remember anything from the dream, not even the name he had almost cried out as he woke.

His brother was worried about him; that much was clear. He had told the brunette boy that there was nothing to worry about, but that didn't stop his brother from shooting him concerned looks across the classroom during the classes they had together. Lunch had been no better, as his brother had then proceeded to get the whole rest of the lunch table to worry about his health, to which he continued to protest that he was fine.

When the boys returned home from school that evening, he began to wonder if it was possible for his life to get worse. Their mother had been working so hard to support the twins, but her job just laid her off and they were close to losing the house. And so, the woman announced they would be moving in with family that lived in Hollow Bastion, a good one-hundred miles away from the sunny beaches of Destiny Islands.

The next few days were spent packing what little belongings they possessed and saying tearful goodbyes to all of their friends. No one fretted over his original problem, too busy trying to squeeze him to death in goodbye hugs. When the weekend came, the two boys piled into the back of their mother's car. Their things would be following in a truck driven by their uncle, who had driven from Hollow Bastion to help them get their boxes and belongings.

Roxas and Sora Irino left their comfortable lives in Destiny Islands, and were thrown into the chaos of Hallow Bastion, where their lives would completely change.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"_No one would miss me."_

"_That's not true!...I would…"_

Roxas shot up in bed. He was covered in cold sweat, shivering violently as he tried to fill his lungs with air. For a few seconds, he was trapped in a fog between the real world and the dream world, but he was soon snapped harshly into reality as he felt a hand touch his shoulder. His head moved quickly to look at the wide, concerned eyes of his twin.

"R-Roxas…?" Sora's voice was small, shocked at Roxas's violent awakening. The two locked eyes for a long moment before Roxas groaned and fell back against his pillow, bringing an arm over his eyes.

What had that dream been about…? Why couldn't he recall a single detail of something that had left him wanting to scream and sob until his throat was raw?

With a heavy sigh, Roxas sat up in bed once more, this time with less violence, and swung his legs over the side of his bed. Sora still sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes locked on the form of the older twin. However, he knew he wouldn't be able to get any information out of the boy.

This was the second time in a span of about two weeks that Roxas had woken up, sweating with a choked scream caught in his throat. It had been only a recent thing, but he knew it wasn't connected to their moving to the city. The first nightmare had occurred the morning before their mother announced their leaving of Destiny Island. It then led Sora to wonder if Roxas's nightmares were omens. After all, today was to be their first day at their new school.

Shaking the odd thoughts away, Sora rose from Roxas's bed to hear the shower start in the next room. This reminded Sora that he was still dressed in a towel, his damp brunette locks hanging limply about his head. He walked over to the dresser he shared with Roxas and pulled open the top drawer (which was deemed 'Sora's Underwear Drawer'). He pulled a fresh pair of boxers out and slid them up his tanned legs before he discarded the towel off onto his bed (located against the other wall of the bedroom, about ten feet away from Roxas's bed). He walked to his half of the closet to retrieve the outfit he would wear for the day, which ended up consisting of a red t-shirt and jeans.

Roxas stood under the hot water, shutting his eyes and trying to focus his mind on his dream, trying to pick out any tiny, significant detail that might remind him of what he had dreamt of. However, he was met with a painful block that left him with a growing headache. With a sigh, he decided to forget it for now as he picked up the bottle of shampoo and squirted some of the cool liquid into his hand.

Roxas's shower lasted all of seven minutes before he climbed out and grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist, using another towel (one Sora had used earlier for the same purpose) to quickly towel-dry his hair to the best of his ability. He took a comb from the bathroom sink counter and ran it through his dirty-blonde hair. Once his hair was free of tangles, Roxas exited the bathroom and reentered his bedroom, where Sora was fully dressed for the day.

"Isn't it cool that we get our own bathroom, Roxas?" Sora asked. Roxas could tell Sora was trying not to ask anything about his earlier episode.

He gave a nod in his brother's direction as he walked to the dresser, opening his own underwear drawer and pulling out a pair of green boxers; his favorite pair. He pulled them on and threw his towel onto his own bed before he, too, went to his half of the closet to get clothing. He decided on a black t-shirt that read 'The Black Mages' in ice blue letters and a pair of baggy, dark-blue jeans. He slid a checkered black-and-white wristband onto his left wrist before he started to walk toward the door.

Just as his hand touched the door knob, Sora raised his voice again. "Are you okay?"

There was a brief moment of silence before Roxas looked over his shoulder, smiling gently at his twin brother.

"Of course."

Saying nothing more, Roxas pulled open the door and walked out into the cool hallway. Sora watched after his brother for a long moment before he let out a sigh and followed after him.

Downstairs, Megumi Irino sat at the kitchen counter, chatting happily with her nephew, Cloud Strife. The man listened to his aunt chatter on about the most random things of the morning while he finished cooking eggs on the stove. He brought the pan full of eggs over to a large plate and dumped them on there, setting the plate on the counter next to a stack of plates. He nodded in greeting to the twins as they arrived and turned back to shut off the stove.

The boys sat themselves at the counter and ate their breakfast of eggs and toast in relative silence, listening to their mother finish one of her stories of when she used to work at the bar years ago. They glanced over at the woman as she turned to them and addressed them.

"Excited for your first day at your new school?"

She was answered with shrugs from both, to which she pouted a little. She turned to her nephew for encouragement, to which he shrugged as well.

"Radiant High School isn't that bad of a school… You two should fit in pretty well there."

Cloud was a senior at the school while Roxas and Sora were sophomores.

"At least you'll know one person there." Megumi tried to encourage them, but they only shrugged again as they finished up their breakfast. The boys took their plates to the sink before they went to the front room to pick up their backpacks (Sora's a red one with various doodles drawn over it in black marker and Roxas's a checkered black-and-white one, much like his wristband). Cloud walked along with them, picking up his bag before he turned to his aunt, giving her a small wave.

The three left the house and went to Cloud's car. The twins piled into the backseat and Cloud took the driver's seat. The ride was silent, but once they were off the block, Roxas felt something warm take hold of his hand. He glanced at his brother to find that his small tanned hand was holding his gently and they locked eyes for a moment. Sora offered a weak smile, and Roxas mirrored it as he squeezed his brother's hand.

The car ride was about ten minutes long and they soon arrived at the large high school. Seaside High School had been small, housing only about 800 students at most, and the halls were mainly outdoors. Radiant High School was large, towering three stories tall, and was connected with various indoor halls. Students swarmed around the front of the school, and the boys were sure that there were even more inside.

Cloud parked in the Senior parking lot before stepping out of his car. He waited for Sora and Roxas to get out of the car before he locked the car and shut his door. As the three walked up to the sidewalk, a voice called out Cloud's name. The blonde looked over to see a short, black haired girl waving her arm enthusiastically. He let out a light chuckle before turning to his cousins.

"You two think you can make it to the office on your own?" He asked. The twins could see the sacrifice in his eyes at the silent offer he made, and they both smiled at the same time.

"Yeah, it shouldn't be that hard." Sora said, his smile turning to a grin as he stepped forward and pushed Cloud in the direction of his friends. "We'll see you after school?"

After receiving a nod from their cousin, Sora and Roxas gave a wave to the man and turned their backs to him, starting to walk toward the massive buildings. Roxas pointed out a building that had the word 'office' at its first floor and the two made their way toward it.

About ten minutes later, the two had their new schedules and were sitting outside the front office, comparing them. The only class they had together was mathematics and that wasn't until the last class of the day. Fear struck both boys at the thought of having to go almost the entire school day separated, but they knew there was no way to change it.

The school bell rang, signaling that it was time to go to their first class. Sora reached forward and gave Roxas's hand a small squeeze before they parted, Roxas heading off to English class and Sora heading for History.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Roxas was not looking forward to lunch one bit. He was sure the cafeteria would be absolutely crowded and he doubted he'd be able to get his lunch in enough time. With a sigh, he walked into his art class, walking up to the teacher with a slip showing that he was new and needed a seat. The teacher signed the slip and pointed Roxas to a nearby table.

He took a seat at the side of the table that the teacher had pointed to. The stool was uncomfortable beneath him, but he figured it couldn't get much worse. He tapped his pencil gently on the table as he waited for class to begin. He was so engrossed in his pencil tapping that he didn't notice someone had sat next to him until he accidently dropped the pencil and scrambled to grab it before it rolled off the table. He paused as he took in the features of his table partner.

Her hair was pale golden-blonde, her skin almost sickly white. She wore a white blouse with a knee-length white skirt, and white sandals to match. She held a pencil in her small hand and was drawing in a sketch book. He was almost convinced that she was void of all color… Until she looked up from her drawing and he was frozen for a moment, caught in her shocking blue eyes.

Nostalgia suddenly hit him and he felt dizzy for a moment, his head spinning. He'd seen those eyes before. Of course, he and his brother had often been commented for their surprisingly blue eyes, but this girl's eyes were different… Their familiarity was something he was convinced he'd seen before. But he would remember if he'd actually seen those eyes before…

Why did they seem so familiar…?

A small smile slid onto pale lips.

"You're new, aren't you?" Her voice was warm and welcoming. Besides teachers, she had been the first person to speak to him at the new school. He swallowed hard and nodded in response. She held out a small hand to him. "I'm Naminé Nakahara." She sounded like she wanted to keep speaking, but she stopped herself, pressing her lips together, but still smiling.

When his brain finally connected to his body, he forced his hand to move, taking her small, pale hand in his tanned hand. He was afraid to grip too tight, as if she would break if he did so.

"A-ah, I'm Roxas… Roxas Irino…" He forced out before he took a deep breath, smiling gently. "It's nice to meet you, Naminé."

"The pleasure's mine."

The teacher called the attention of the class at that time, and the two were forced to tear their eyes from each other to pay attention to the instructions.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The cafeteria was packed, as Roxas had predicted, but he was surprised at the size of the building. It was a two story cafeteria with six stations per floor, along with a few snack machines. Students were moving smoothly through the lines, which the blonde was thankful for. He looked around, trying to see if he could catch even the tiniest of glimpses of spiky brunette hair. He caught sight of Cloud with a group of people at a table, but there was no sign of Sora.

With a sigh, he started to walk toward one of the lunch lines… And that's when he saw him.

Wild spikes of blood-red hair caused the boy to become dizzy. He felt like he had just been punched in the stomach. Waves of nostalgia hit him over and over again at the sight of the color. Where had these sudden pains come from? Roxas was 99.99% sure he had never seen anyone with that color hair before… So why was it bothering him so much?

"Roxas?"

The blonde blinked a few times, turning in the direction he heard his name. Sora's sky eyes were wide with concern and he took a few steps forward in order to stop his brother's swaying; Roxas hadn't even noticed that he had started to stumble a little, his head spinning. He was able to collect his bearings in a few short seconds and he looked sheepishly up at his brother's questioning eyes.

"Just... a little dizzy." He managed to say weakly.

"Oh no, I hope you're not getting the bug that's been going around." A female voice spoke up. Roxas blinked and turned to see that Sora had three companions with him.

The one who had spoke, the female, had soft peach skin with auburn hair and dark olive-green eyes. Behind her, a boy with spiky butterscotch hair and tough (yet, at the same time, soft) chocolate eyes stood, watching Roxas carefully. Next to him was another boy, who stood slightly taller than his friend, but was also a bit larger. His raven hair stuck up around his grey headband, his dark eyes full of curiosity.

"Oh, you better not be getting sick! That means I'll be next!" Sora groaned.

Roxas blinked a few more times before he slowly shook his head. "I'm not sick, Sora. I just got a little light headed. I'm fine now."

Sora didn't believe his brother for one moment, but when the two locked eyes, the silent argument had been fought and Roxas won. He turned his eyes to look at the three, who had been watching them during their brief silence.

"I… never caught your names." He said, getting his mind off of the earlier subject.

"Ah, yes. I'm Olette Hirasawa." The girl spoke. She motioned to the thinner boy. "This is Hayner Sasaki," she then motioned to the other male, "and Pence Taya." She gave him a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you, Roxas."

"How did you…?"

"I told them your name earlier when I went looking for you." Sora cut in before Roxas could finish his sentence. Roxas blinked but shrugged. It was then that he noticed that Sora had a tray of food and the other three had sacked lunches.

"Ah… Let's go find somewhere to sit, yeah?" He suggested.

"Aren't you going to get any food?" Olette asked, her voice taking on a sort of motherly tone. Roxas shook his head.

"I'm not really that hungry." He lied. Of course, Sora saw right through it, but didn't push it. He would just stuff fries into his brother's face when they sat down.

The group of five maneuvered their way through the cafeteria, but Roxas froze slightly when he caught sight of a familiar face. She was sitting by herself at one of the taller tables against the wall, sitting on the high stool-chair with her legs swinging gently. She was drawing in her sketch book again, her tray of food looking untouched. She looked up after half a second and offered a small smile and wave before she looked back down. She didn't motion for him to join her or anything, and Sora was tugging on his arm with his free hand. He reluctantly followed his twin to the lunch table.

Roxas was kept busy the rest of the lunch period, not given a single chance to look back at Naminé or look for the red spikes that had caused him to nearly pass out in the middle of the cafeteria.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

That night, Roxas dreamt of dancing flames.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_I must keep drawing. My inspiration has hit even harder, now that I am able to see the other half of the story. It started when I first laid eyes on the passionate flame. I saw his story and it sparked me to draw what I saw. Now, I have met the other half, the bright light, and now I must draw even more. I must keep drawing until the whole story is complete._

_It won't change anything… But until I know how their story ended, I will not be able to rest easy._

_So many stories to tell… If only I could draw faster…_


	2. Green and Blue, Red and Blonde

**Beneath the Blue Sky**

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts and all related characters belong to Square Enix.**  
Rated:** T+ (15+)  
**Pairings:** (Main) Axel x Roxas, (Side) Riku x Sora, (Hints of) Zexion x Demyx / Leon x Cloud  
**Chapter Word Count:** 3,400  
**Total Word Count (Ch. 1-2): **6,892  
**Beta'd by: **Karinta24

**Authoress Notes: **Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter! =D So here we are for chapter two, where we delve deeper into the mystery of Naminé and get another glimpse of Axel. Enjoy the chapter!

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**Chapter Two: Green and Blue, Red and Blonde**

Warmth…

It was the feeling that he lacked when he woke from his dream. He remembered feeling so warm, though he wasn't sure what from. Flames had threatened to take his very life, but at the same time, he had been oddly comforted by them. They should have burned his skin and killed him, but they wrapped around him in a sort of protective cocoon, keeping him away from the cold, dark world outside.

The dream left him in a daze. It had been a while since he'd had a dream that he could remember, even if it was only remembering something insignificant like fire. Maybe it stuck out so much because it wasn't something people normally dreamt about. Whatever the case, some things were starting to clear in his mind, though he doubted it would remain that way for long.

Roxas glanced at the clock to his right and raised an eyebrow. What in the world was he doing up so early? The red numbers stood out in the dark room, and they read the time of five thirty, which meant he only got about six hours of sleep at most. He could feel fatigue weighing down his body and after only a minute, he fell back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. When his eyes closed again his mind was void of dreams.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

His classes went by in a blur, and before long, Roxas was sitting at his art table, staring down at his pencil as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. At this point, he was convinced half the student body thought he was some sort of weird-ass stoner kid who zoned out a lot. He couldn't help that his mind liked to wander. Though, that day, his mind was still focused on the thought of flames. He wanted an answer as to why he was dreaming such odd things…

He hardly noticed when the stool next to him scraped softly against the floor and a small figure took a seat. It was only when he heard the faint scratching of pencil on paper that he looked over to see Naminé hunched over her sketch book, her hair casting a curtain between Roxas and her art. He stared at her for a good fifteen seconds before she turned her head and he was met with blue.

"Good afternoon, Roxas." She greeted warmly, a kind smile sliding easily on her pale-pink lips. Roxas blinked for a second before he slowly returned the smile and gave a small nod.

"Hey, Naminé…" His voice was a little shy and awkward, especially since he'd gotten caught staring at her. However, she didn't seem to mind as she flipped her sketch book closed and slipped it into her white messenger bag. There was a brief silence between the two before Roxas decided to ask a question that popped into his mind after he remembered lunch from the previous day. "How come you were sitting alone at lunch?"

She blinked innocently at him before she gave another smile, tucking her pale golden hair behind her ear. She turned her eyes down to look at the table as she spoke. "I don't really have any friends at this school." She answered honestly. "But I really don't mind. I'm afraid that I'm not very good company." A small giggle escaped her lips.

"How could you not have any friends? You're really nice." Roxas's lips curled into a small frown.

"Sometimes, kindness just isn't enough…" A sad smile replaced her earlier smile, but it still looked just as pretty.

"Why don't you eat lunch with us today? I'm sure my brother and the others wouldn't mind it." The boy suggested, trying to encourage her. However, she merely shook her head and pulled out a small notebook, opening it up and labeling the top of her paper with the title that the teacher had put on the board.

"I would rather not… But I very much appreciate the offer." She smiled in his direction. "Thank you…" Her voice was sincere. She turned back to her notes and Roxas stared at her for a long moment before he slowly turned to his backpack, pulling out his own notebook for note taking.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Lunch had arrived yet again. When he first entered the cafeteria, Roxas was a little afraid. He wondered if he would run into the student with the blood hair that had nearly caused him to pass out the previous day. He only used the excuse of the red hair for his episode since nothing else had seemed to bother him… Either that, or he had begun to go crazy, and random spouts of dizziness and sickness would occur until he completely went insane. Whatever the case, he just needed to ignore it.

He continued through the cafeteria, gazing around nervously. He spotted various groups of people eating together, chatting amongst themselves and having a general good time during their only free period of the day. A boy with long platinum hair sat across from a giggling red haired girl. Cloud sat at a table with a scowling brunette, a cheerful black haired girl, a smiling girl with a long, brunette braid, and a busty, dark haired girl. Naminé sat at the same table she had sat at the previous day, but she had her feet up on the other chair at her table, as if to discourage any visitors. He moved through the throng of people, trying to catch sight of spiky brunette locks.

"Roxas!"

The call was faint, but it was enough to cause the boy's head to turn and search the crowd. Sora was waving enthusiastically from a table with Hayner, Pence, and Olette seated around him. He had his foot up on one of the chairs next to him, as if to fend off other people wanting to take that seat.

The older twin gave a small smile and walked over to the table. He took the seat Sora had been saving and looked around at the table to see that the rest of the group already had food. He brushed it off and reached out to pick up a fry from Sora's tray. The younger twin pouted, but did nothing to stop his brother from stealing food from his plate.

Throughout the lunch period, when he wasn't stealing food from Sora's tray, Roxas's eyes would stray off in Naminé's direction. Her food was untouched, like the previous day, and she was hunched over a sketch book. She never looked up, no matter how many times he wished she would.

"What're you looking at?"

Roxas's eyes snapped back to look at Hayner and he slowly shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. "Ah, nothing." He needed a quick subject change. He took a fry and munched it, leaning back in his chair. "So, what do you guys do for fun around here?" He could care less, but he needed something to say before Hayner could push the earlier subject.

The rest of the lunch period was spent listening to Olette (and occasionally Pence and Hayner piping in) explain the various things they did in their free time. Sora was absolutely engrossed in the explanations, while Roxas half listened, his mind focused on other matters.

When the bell rang, the five rose from the table and went their separate ways for class.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

A week passed.

Each day was relatively the same. The twins would wake up, get ready for school, go to school, hang out with Hayner, Pence, and Olette, come home, do homework, and go to bed. It was a ritual that Roxas was finding himself getting quickly bored of.

There was no improvement in his relationship with Naminé. They only really spoke in art class, and lately, it had been nothing more than 'Good morning'. Whenever he saw her, inside or outside of class, she was hunched over her sketchbook, her pencil moving fiercely over the page. She had only begun to bring colored pencils two days ago, along with a pen. He assumed she was inking in the pencil lines and adding color to her art, but he never saw. She always kept her work hidden, whether it was her hair in the way or the way she bent over her art, her chest nearly touching the paper.

He never saw the sight of red after his first day. He found himself wondering if he had imagined the whole incident. Well, at least, imagined the red hair, since he did nearly faint in the middle of the cafeteria. The worried expression on Sora's face that day was enough of a reminder.

And so, when that day arrived… He was sure that Hollow Bastion was out to fuck with him.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The morning had gone by without incident. He went to each of his classes and half-paid attention to each lecture. When his fourth hour teacher let the class out early for lunch (the man decided that since it was Friday, he'd go easy on the class), Roxas had been rather surprised, but decided it would be a good time to get to lunch before the crowd and reserving their usual table in the cafeteria.

He shoved his things into his backpack and walked out of the classroom, heading into the large hallway. Since only his class and a handful of students were out of class, the halls were rather empty, a sight that Roxas wasn't accustomed to seeing.

He took his time walking, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his loose jeans. The jeans were held up by a black studded belt and there was a hole in one of the knees, along with a couple more around the shin-area on both legs of his pants. His shirt hung pathetically off his thin torso, staring black around his shoulders, but fading to white by the time it reached the bottom. A large, black jacket was draped over him, shielding his skin from the cold Hollow Bastion air. He'd lived on an island since he was born, so anything under seventy degrees was considered cold to him.

He turned the corner of the hall and paused when he noticed Naminé standing with two older students. She clutched her sketchbook to her chest, her white purse looking large hanging from her elbow. She wore white, like every other day he'd seen her, though it was a blouse-skirt combination with sandals, rather than a dress. From the looks of it, the conversation between the small girl and the older female students wasn't a friendly one.

"You said you'd have it, Witch." The first girl said as she shoved Naminé into the wall behind her. The girl let out a tiny squeak and opened her mouth to speak.

"Something came up and I wasn't able to complete it." Her voice was tiny and she sounded vulnerable.

Roxas started walking toward the group as the girl grabbed hold of the front of Naminé's blouse, causing the smaller girl to gasp. He picked up his pace and brought his hands out from his pockets, glaring at the offending female.

"Hey, leave her alone." It wasn't much, but at least he made his presence known. The three females turned their heads in the boy's direction and he was met with two glares and a look of fear.

"Or what?" The older girl demanded, throwing Naminé back to her partner while she turned her attention to Roxas. She stalked forward toward him and he swallowed hard as he took a step back. "What? Are you too chicken shit to continue what you were gonna start?"

"Leave him alone, Yuka." Naminé begged. She turned her eyes to look at Roxas. "Please, just go. There's no reason for you to get involved."

"Eiri, keep the girl quiet." Yuka spoke over her shoulder before she looked back at Roxas. "I'll turn you into paste, fucker." She rose her arm, her hand turning into a fist. Roxas wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, she was going to hit her and it was likely going to be painful… But on the other hand, she was a girl, so it wasn't like he could really fight back. It was a lose-lose situation.

He shut his eyes as her fist launched forward…and never made contact.

One eye opened to find the girl's fist clutched in a pale hand. The other eye opened to slowly look up the arm, passing the black leather wristband with a chain and following it up to where black material of a t-shirt covered the bicep. He turned his head to look at the figure standing next to him. His eyes widened a considerable amount when he realized what he saw.

Red hair.

The expression on the male's pale face was deadly, his intense-green eyes narrowed into a harsh glare. Two dark-purple reverse-teardrop shaped markings were beneath each eye. But what stood out the most about the male was his shoulder-length blood red hair that spiked back behind him.

"Picking on underclassmen, Yuka?" His voice was low and it sent a shiver down Roxas's spine.

"Fuck off, Red. This ain't any of your business." The girl growled, trying to free her fist from the red-head's grasp. He kept hold of her hand and turned to look over her shoulder at Naminé. The look he gave Eiri was enough to make her let go of the smaller girl and step back.

"You okay, Naminé?" He asked, his tone softening just slightly. The girl was a little shaken, but she gave a small nod as she ran over to stand behind Roxas. Once she was in a safe enough place, the male released Yuka's hand, shoving it toward her. Yuka stumbled slightly, but caught her footing as Eiri came up behind her to support her. However, Yuka shoved the girl's hands off her arm and glared at the group.

"If my grade drops below a C for my art class, your ass is toast, Witch." Yuka threatened before turning and storming down the hallway. Eiri sent the group a fleeting glance before she turned and followed after her friend.

There was a silence before the tall male let out a sigh and turned to look at Roxas. However, upon catching sight of his face, he froze, his eyes widening slightly. Roxas, in turn, looked up at the male's face, catching his eyes. Green and blue met and it felt like the world disappeared around them. Nothing existed but green and blue, red and blonde.

The silence was interrupted by the bell ringing, causing both boys to jump at the sound. Green eyes lingered on Roxas's face for a moment more before they turned to look at the small blonde next to them.

"You sure you're alright, Naminé?" he asked as the hallway started to fill. Naminé nodded in response.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for helping us, Axel."

"Yeah… No problem…" He turned and looked at Roxas for a moment. "…See ya around." He muttered before turning and disappearing into the growing crowd.

Roxas watched after him until the red locks were no longer visible, and then turned back to look at his female companion. She gazed up at him, her azure eyes filled with concern.

"Are you alright, Roxas? She didn't hurt you, did she…?" Her tone started worried, but melted into horror at the thought of Roxas getting hurt on her behalf. The boy could see her worry and he quickly shook his head.

"N-no, I'm fine. She didn't hurt me. That… guy stopped her before she could hit me." Roxas glanced back down the crowded hallway before slowly turning back to look at her. "What was that whole thing about, though?"

The girl's gaze dropped to the floor and she looked almost ashamed. "Before you started coming to Radiant, the teacher assigned us a group project… Yuka was assigned my partner. However, she dumped the work on me. I was going to do it, but I got caught up in other projects that I completely forgot… It's due tomorrow and there's no way I'll have it finished in time…"

"That shouldn't be your problem if she fails, Naminé. Don't let her get to you." Roxas tried to assure her. He wanted to say that he'd do something to make sure that Naminé would be safe if Yuka tried to get at her again, but he couldn't make such a promise.

The girl raised a small, pale hand to gently clutch at the material of Roxas's sleeve, looking up at him. "I'll be fine, Roxas." She gave him a smile. "Honestly."

There was a pause before she stepped back, clutching her sketchbook to her chest once more. "I'll see you on Monday." She said simply before she started down the hallway in the opposite direction of the cafeteria. Roxas watched her until she turned the corner before he slowly turned and walked to meet up with Sora and the others.

"Where were you?" Hayner asked as Roxas took a seat at their table.

"I… was talking with a friend from art class." He semi-lied. Sora could tell something was up, but decided not to push matters until they were home that evening.

Lunch went without incident. Roxas had taken a look around the cafeteria and found no sign of pale-golden blonde or blood-red spikes.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Did anything happen at school today, Roxas?"

The blonde looked over at his brunette twin, blinking curiously for a moment.

"What do you mean, Sora?"

"You were late to lunch… Did something happen?"

"You worry too much." Roxas dodged the question.

"Roxas…" Sora's voice became pleading and Roxas did all he could to look away from the desperate look on his twin's face.

"Look, nothing you need to worry about… A friend from art class got into some trouble and I helped her out."

"What happened…?"

In the end, Roxas found himself telling Sora how some girls looked like they were going to beat Naminé. He told her how he stopped them, but nearly got pummeled himself until a strange boy with flaming red hair came to his rescue.

"You could have been hurt, Roxas!" Sora cried out as he latched his arms around Roxas's shoulders.

"If I was hurt defending her, then I wouldn't care. She's a really tiny girl. I couldn't let them hurt her…" Roxas looked away. Naminé was a total stranger… but he felt compelled to protect her, as if there was something evil in the world that she needed to be saved from. He shook his head slightly and looked back at his twin.

"I'm glad that guy saved you, though. Did you catch his name?" Sora glanced up at his brother. Roxas looked up at the ceiling in thought, as if it would tell him the name of his savior. He remembered Naminé saying it… But for the life of him, it wasn't coming to his mind.

"_The name's Axel. Got it memorized?"_

Roxas's eyes widened as the voice echoed through his mind. What… What in the world was that? However, as he thought on it, the name matched up to the one Naminé had said, now that he was able to remember it.

"Axel." He whispered, bringing his arms up to clutch his brother close. Sora's eyes widened in concern and he hugged his brother.

No more words were spoken. Roxas had no will to speak anymore after that voice rang so powerfully in his mind (though he couldn't remember it clearly afterward) and Sora could tell something was wrong and that Roxas wasn't going to talk.

The brothers fell asleep on Roxas's bed, clutching each other in a tight embrace.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_They met today._

_I have drawn seven sketches so far, and I've been inking in some of the earlier ones while I wait for the stories to continue. However, when they laid eyes on each other, in that brief moment… A whole new chapter to the story began. I must bring it to life._

_Some stories are nearing their end. Some stories have just started. And some stories have yet to begin. It is my duty to make sure each story is told until the very end._

_My wrist aches… But I can't stop now…_


	3. One is Silver and the Other's Red

**Beneath the Blue Sky**

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts and all related characters belong to Square Enix.**  
Rated:** T+ (15+)  
**Pairings:** (Main) Axel x Roxas, (Side) Riku x Sora, (Hints of) Zexion x Demyx / Leon x Cloud  
**Chapter Word Count:** 3,759  
**Total Word Count (Ch. 1-3): **10,651  
**Beta'd by: **Karinta24

**Authoress Notes: **Thanks to my lovely reviewers! *hearts* Alright, so we're getting to a point in the story where I'm going to be tweaking the canon and changing things up. I'll clarify when things start changing, just so no one gets confused. So, for now, let's enjoy this chapter! I have a feeling you'll like it. *wink*

* * *

**Chapter Three: One is Silver and the Other's Red**

_**'Donna toki date, tada hitori de,' Pat, pat, rustle, rustle, ' unmei wasurete…' Click.**_

"Hello…?" Sora answered groggily, clearing his throat as he sat up in bed. His cell phone was pressed to his ear with one hand while the other propped him up. He moved enough to sit against Roxas's headboard. He had forgotten that he'd fallen asleep on his brother's bed with him, and his phone had shocked him awake when it went off in his pocket rather than on his nightstand.

A blue eye cracked open, gazing sleepily at his younger twin on the phone. The phone had woken him up as well, though he recognized the ringtone as his brother's rather than his own, so he chose to ignore it until he heard Sora speak. The boy on the phone gave a smile down at his brother as he ruffled the dirty blonde locks while simultaneously spoke to the person on the other line.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it. What's up?"… "What kind?" … "Hum… Well, what time?" … "Alright, let me ask."

Sora took the phone from his ear and looked at his phone, pressing the mute button before letting out a loud yawn as he set the cell phone down on Roxas's nightstand. He stretched while his older brother stared curiously up at him. Sora opened one eye to glance at his brother and shot him a wide grin.

"Olette's on the phone." The brunette clued the blonde in. "She wants to know if we want to go see a movie with them."

Roxas rubbed his eyes as he sat up, blinking a few times before he sat up against the headboard, mimicking the way his twin was sitting.

"What movie?" He asked, his brain still not all there.

"Some new action movie that just came out… The Ultimate Struggle, or something like that. You interested?"

Roxas thought for a moment before he gave a slight shrug. "I'll go if you wanna go."

"We don't have to go if you don't want to, Roxas…" Sora's voice softened, his eyes taking on that gentle concern that caused Roxas's stomach to churn. He hated when that look was directed at him…

"We just made friends, so let's spend some time with them." Roxas had to force the words as he stood from the bed. It's not like he hated Hayner, Pence, and Olette… But Roxas had never been the best at making friends. Even back on Destiny Islands, most of the people that he'd left behind had been Sora's friends, who had been his friends strictly by his connection to Sora.

Sora watched his brother for a moment before he reached over to pick up the phone from the nightstand. He un-muted it and brought it to his ear, watching his brother as he spoke into the phone.

"When did you want to meet?"… "Eleven sounds fine. Gives us enough time to get ready."… "Yeah, I convinced him." A forced chuckle passed his lips. "We'll see you soon." … "Kay, bye."

Sora snapped his phone shut and got up from the bed to hear the shower running in the next room.

The hot water rushed over the blonde and he just stood there, letting his body soak, with his eyes shut. He had a feeling that he'd dreamed the night before, but he couldn't remember a single detail. Just the fleeting thoughts that would disappear the second he'd try to grasp them long enough to focus on. A light-tanned hand rose up in a fist and gently beat against the tile of the bathroom wall, teeth gritting and grinding against each other.

"Damnit…" He muttered harshly under his breath as his eyes snapped open. He reached for the shampoo and continued on his routine of bathing, focusing his mind on other matters, such as the upcoming trip out with their new friends.

Sora was so much more social than Roxas. Hell, it was Sora who met the three, so of course they'd naturally be closer to him. Roxas found himself wondering if they'd just turn out to be like Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka, the island equivalents of the Hollow Bastion trio. The island trio had been friends of the Irino twins for years, since their childhood, but Roxas always had this feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him that they were only his friends because of Sora. Because Sora was so happy and so outgoing, because Sora knew how to smile and how to say the right thing, because Sora was so damn perfect.

Roxas froze, putting a hand to the wall as if to steady him self. His ocean eyes were wide in horror as he realized the thoughts that had just gone through his mind. Had he seriously been… jealous of Sora? To a point where he cursed his brother's name? He slowly shook his head, shutting his eyes tight to try and shake away the horrible words he had thought. He shoved himself away from the wall and stood under the hot water, letting it wash away the awful feeling that had come over him.

When he exited the shower, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, ignoring his hair as he exited the bathroom. He was sure Sora would be waiting to use it after him, so he'd just do his hair when Sora was done.

When he re-entered his bedroom, he felt Sora's eyes on him. The boy had his clothes laid out on his bed and he had turned at the sound of the door opening. There was something about Roxas that seemed off to Sora and the brunette boy walked over, a frown gracing his lips as he raised a hand to hesitantly touch Roxas's bare shoulder. The older twin flinched at his brother's touch and Sora jerked his hand back, a hurt expression immediately coming to his face without thought. Roxas looked up in enough time to see it and his heart clenched as he cringed.

"S-sorry…" He could barely mutter out to his brother. Sora stared at him for half a second before forcing a grin, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his head.

"Nothing to worry about, Roxas. I'm going to go take my shower." Sora quickly departed the room as he spoke his last word. Roxas turned and watched his brother leave, pain touching at his chest. He suddenly felt sick and he moved to his bed, falling down on it and just laying there for a long while. He knew he'd need to get up and get dressed before Sora returned, so he could try and make things better. He hadn't meant to flinch… His body had reacted without consulting the brain and now Roxas felt immense guilt.

First, those horrible, jealous thoughts, and now this? Roxas loved his brother! Why was he having such reactions all of a sudden?

A couple minutes passed and the pain eased in his chest, allowing him to get up and shuffle over to his dresser. He grabbed a pair of blue boxers and threw them over to his bed before he made his way to the shared closet, his eyes scanning over the things on his end. He finally decided on a simple black t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a black and white hooded jacket. He walked to his bed and quickly dressed. The door opened just as he was pulling his jacket on.

Sora ran his fingers through his hair with one hand, the other hand holding a towel up around his thin, tan hips. He walked over to his bed and turned his back to Roxas as he began to dress himself. Roxas kept his attention on his night stand as he pulled on his checkered wristband. He found two rubber rings resting next to where his wristband was and slipped them on to his pointer and middle fingers on his left hand, white on the middle finger and black on the pointer.

He pulled his cell phone from where he'd placed in on the nightstand before his shower and shoved it into the pocket of his jeans, jamming his hands inside the pockets of his jacket as he glanced back at his brother. Sora dressed in a long sleeved blue hooded sweatshirt over some random shirt (Roxas figured) and a pair of jeans. His brunette locks were drying and retaining their usual spikiness. Roxas ran his fingers through his own hair before he walked over to where his brother stood, the boy's back to him.

Roxas flung himself forward, wrapping his arms around his twin's middle and burying his face in Sora's shoulder from behind. Sora stiffened for a moment before he realized that it was, indeed, Roxas clinging to him. He relaxed and turned around to look at his brother, whose eyes were shut tightly. Roxas immediately buried his face in the crook of Sora's neck and the brunette boy brought his thin arms around the blonde, holding him close.

"I'm sorry, Sora…" Roxas muttered against Sora's neck, to which the brunette smiled and shook his head.

"Don't be." He said simply before he squeezed Roxas and let go, taking a step back. He gave the boy a wide grin before he picked his cell phone up off his bed and shoved is in his pocket. "Shall we be going, dear brother?" He offered his arm to Roxas. The older twin blinked before smiling and linking his arm with Sora's.

"I believe we shall."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

It was painfully obvious that Hayner and Pence ganged up on Olette when it came to choosing the movie. Olette spent much of the movie rolling her eyes and sipping her soda while the boys sat on the edge of their seats, their eyes glued to the big screen. Sora's eyes were wide with excitement, watching the movements of the characters on the screen who were engaging in a Struggle match. Roxas smiled at his brother's enthusiasm as he sipped his soda and watched the movie.

He wondered if Sora would take up Struggling, much like he did Blitzball back at Seaside High.

When the movie was over, Sora, Pence, and Hayner were talking animatedly about every scene of the movie while Olette lingered behind, smiling and shaking her head. Roxas walked beside her, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his soda.

"Now, if we'd seen a movie that I wanted to see, they'd be sulking silently out of the theatre." She giggled as she turned to look at Roxas. "Did you enjoy the movie?"

"It was pretty good. Better than I had expected. How about you?" Roxas questioned in return.

"Yeah, it was pretty good." She agreed. "I'm not usually into those kinds of movies, but I pretty much imagined people like Hayner and Sora, and even you, as the main characters instead. Hayner loves to Struggle, and Sora seemed really into the movie. Have you guys ever Struggled before?"

Roxas shook his head. "Sora was a Blitzball player back at Seaside. I wasn't really one for sports." He shrugged. "But Struggling does look like it'd be pretty fun."

Olette giggled again. "Don't let Hayner hear you say that or you'll never hear the end of it. He'll bother you about it until you join in on their tri-weekly Struggle games down at the Sandlot."

"Who does he play against usually?" Roxas's curiosity had gotten the best of him. Besides, best to keep up conversation.

"He usually plays against Seifer Almasy. He's a junior at our school and Hayner's rival since they were in grade school." Olette glanced over at Roxas. "From what it looks like, you haven't had a run in with Seifer yet. But don't let him get to you if you ever run into him. He's not really that bad a guy. He talks tough, but he doesn't actually do anything to regular people."

"Regular people?" Roxas raised an eyebrow.

"Like… People who aren't troublemakers. Seifer and his friends run a Disciplinary Committee here in Hollow Bastion under the Restoration Committee."

"Restoration Committee…?" Roxas was beginning to feel a little stupid. Olette shot him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting you're not from the city… The Restoration Committee is a group in charge of keeping the peace in Hollow Bastion. They also help restore the older parts of the city. A couple of the seniors at our school are a part of it, like Leon Leonhart and Cloud Strife."

"Cloud?" Roxas blinked. "That's my cousin."

Olette looked at the boy with wide eyes before her mouth exploded into a grin. "No way! You're related to Cloud Strife?!"

This caught the attention of Hayner and Pence, who looked back at Roxas, and then back to Sora, as if to ask for confirmation. Sora gave a slow, hesitant nod, having missed the majority of Roxas and Olette's conversation.

"Dude, Cloud's the Committee member with the really kick ass motorcycle, right?!" Hayner asked, to which Pence nodded enthusiastically. "Dude, you have to ask him to let us come see his bike! Please, please, PLEASE!!"

The twins exchanged confused looks before smiling a bit. Roxas shrugged. "We'll talk to him about it."

"Awesome!!" Hayner high fived Pence.

The conversation came back to life as Hayner started asking more about Cloud. Roxas took this time to slip away to throw away his soda cup. Sora seemed to provide enough answers that he could get away for a little bit without being noticed.

He located a trashcan around the corner and he tossed the cup in. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and took a look around the area. He hadn't gotten much of an opportunity to look around Hollow Bastion since they'd arrived earlier in the week. Come to think of it, Roxas had only really been to his house and to school, and the pathway that connected the two.

He casually started walking, taking a look at the different buildings and shops. Hollow Bastion was definitely different from Destiny Islands. Even the main island city couldn't compare to the vast buildings of Hollow Bastion. He didn't mind that he was straying kind of far from the group; Sora had his cell phone number if they needed to get in contact. It was a Saturday and Roxas had gone to the movie, like he'd agreed to. No one ever said he couldn't wander off for a little bit.

As he turned the corner, his eyes widened as he came face-to-chest with another person. He nearly fell to the ground, had the hand not reached out and grabbed hold of his upper arm at the last moment. He was steadied on his feet and he brought a hand up to his nose, rubbing it gently as it had hit straight into the ribcage of the other person. He slowly looked up to find golden eyes gazing quizzically down at him, a silver eyebrow raised on pale skin.

There was a moment of silence before Roxas swallowed hard and dropped his hand from his nose. "Sorry…" he muttered. He made a movement to walk around the man, but he felt his upper arm gripped again. His stomach twisted as he looked up at the man once again.

"You're new here." It was more of a statement than a question. Roxas felt really uneasy in the presence of the man and he wanted nothing more than to jerk his arm away and run back to his brother, but something kept him rooted in place. He swallowed hard as the man spoke again. "What's your name, boy?"

"Leave the kid alone, Xemnas." Another voice piped in before Roxas could formulate enough thought to respond. Roxas recognized that voice. He turned his head to see the red haired man from the previous school day waltzing casually over. He wore a simple long sleeved black t-shirt with his hands shoved in the pockets of loose black pants held up around thin hips with a belt (which looked like an extra hole had been added to in order to fit around).

The silver haired man that held Roxas's arm captive looked over at the red haired male before slowly releasing his grip on the blonde's arm. Roxas stumbled back slightly at the release of his arm and he felt a warm pressure on his back as the red haired boy stood behind him, placing a hand on Roxas's back to keep him steady.

A silent conversation seemed to pass through the men, gold meeting green. Then, the silver haired man turned away and walked in the opposite direction. The red haired male didn't hesitate to take Roxas's wrist and drag him away from the direction the other man walked. They kept walking until Roxas gathered his mind and stopped his feet. His leader stopped the moment he felt Roxas stop and he turned back, their eyes locking for a moment.

"Th…Thanks…" The blonde hesitantly muttered, unsure of what else to say. A smirk fell to the other male's lips as he gave a nod in reply.

"No problem. Just… Don't go wandering the streets of Hollow Bastion alone, kid. It ain't safe with people like Xemnas on the loose." He ran his fingers through his wild locks, finally letting his other hand release Roxas's wrist. The boy's arm fell limply to his side.

There was a silence between the two where Roxas had no idea what to say. He was sure he knew the male's name, but it escaped his memory at the moment, with the things that had just happened. So they stood in silence. Roxas looked up from their shoes to find green eyes pinned on him. His eyes widened slightly and he felt his cheeks warm up a bit.

"Wh-what…?"

"You okay? You look… I dunno, like you're really out of it or something." He took a step forward and placed the back of his hand on Roxas's forehead. "Not really warm… Maybe just a little shaken up with earlier." He gave a pat to Roxas's shoulder before he stepped back, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You alone?"

Roxas slowly shook his head. "No… My brother and his friends are a couple of blocks away, I think…" Last he checked, they were.

"Then how about I walk you back over to them, yeah? You look like you're gonna fall over if I leave you alone." A smirk fell to the male's lips and Roxas felt himself frown slightly as he, too, shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Whatever floats your boat…"

Roxas felt a warm hand touch his shoulder and the red haired man led him in the direction that Roxas eventually gave him. They walked in silence, the man's hand touching Roxas's back between his shoulder blades in order to lead him without actually taking the lead. As they turned a corner, Roxas could hear Hayner's voice, followed by Olette's. He glanced up at the red haired male to find green eyes already on him.

"I'll see you 'round, kid. And remember, don't go wandering around by yourself."

He turned to leave and Roxas turned quickly, grabbing the first thing he could of the other male, which turned out to be his hand. His eyes widened slightly, but he looked up at the other, swallowing hard as green eyes gazed curiously back at him, a red eyebrow raised.

"You've… saved me twice now… Can I at least… get your name or something?" He didn't want to sound desperate, but Roxas really wanted to remember this guy's name, so he wouldn't be 'red haired guy' any more. Said red haired guy smirked and brought his free hand up to ruffle Roxas's blonde locks, his other hand remaining in the hold of the smaller boy's.

"The name's Axel. Commit it to memory." He touched Roxas's temple before he turned and started to leave, keeping their hands connected until they were forced to part. He then shoved his hands back into his pocket and walked off, leaving Roxas behind to contemplate the name, knowing it sounded familiar for a couple of reasons… But the impact wasn't as strong as before.

Once Axel was out of sight, Roxas slowly turned around and walked about half a block before his brother and the others came into sight.

"There he is!" Olette called out, to which Sora spun around and dashed toward his twin. Roxas braced himself for the impact as Sora nearly tackled him to the ground, wrapping his arms around his older twin's shoulders.

"Roxas! Where in the world did you go?!" Sora muttered into his shoulder, to which Roxas blinked and slowly brought his hands up to touch Sora's shoulders.

"Sora, I was only gone a few minutes, nothing to worry about. I was just taking a look around the area was all." He tried to reassure his brother.

"Are you okay?" Olette suddenly asked, to which Roxas raised an eyebrow.

"I'm fine… Why?" Olette seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at the boy's response.

"That's good…" She said with a smile, but the look that Roxas was shooting her caused her to bite her lip gently and look to Hayner for help.

"There's a reason we usually go out in decent sized groups. It's not like Hollow Bastion is dangerous or anything… Just, sometimes there's some trouble and it's usually best to have a group around. You're less likely to be confronted by the weirdos if you're not alone." The chocolate eyed boy explained.

"Another new thing we islanders don't know?" Roxas asked weakly, to which Olette gave him a weak smile.

"Hey, let's take them to the Usual Spot. We can clue them in on some of the stuff there." She suggested. Hayner and Pence nodded in agreement and Roxas peeled his brother off of him, though Sora insisted on clinging to Roxas's arm as the group of five, lead by Hayner, headed off in the direction of the 'Usual Spot.'

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_There's been another shift… I'm seeing more now, but not only of flames and light… Now, I see intertwining keys, flames, and something deeper beyond..._

_Another story has been brought to life. I must do it justice…_

_My stomach aches from not eating, but I can't stop drawing. Maybe if I can sketch fast enough, I can make myself a sandwich… Oh, why won't my hand move faster? _


	4. Crimson Nightmares and White Windows

**Beneath the Blue Sky**

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts and all related characters belong to Square Enix.**  
Rated:** T+ (15+)  
**Pairings:** (Main) Axel x Roxas, (Side) Riku x Sora, (Hints of) Zexion x Demyx / Leon x Cloud  
**Chapter Word Count:** 2,160  
**Total Word Count (Ch. 1-4): **12,811  
**Beta'd by: **Karinta24

**Authoress Notes: **Okay, so this chapter is kind of filler… It starts to get into the plot a little more, which is good, but it's kind of short. The X in Organization X is the actual letter, not the number 10. It would be weird to call them Organization XIII if there aren't thirteen members… But other than that, I think we're set to go! Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Four: Crimson Nightmares and White Windows**

The Usual Spot was nothing too special, but it was something that Hayner, Pence, and Olette obviously cherished. They moved through the better parts of Hollow Bastion until they came upon an alleyway. It zigzagged in multiple places and it was easy to get lost if one didn't know the way. Roxas attempted to memorize each turn they took, but lost track after the fifth turn.

They turned into a final alley and came upon an entrance that was covered by a large blanket. Hayner moved forward to hold the blanket to the side and let the other four enter before him. Inside the makeshift room was a large couch and a couple of mismatched chairs spread out. A dart board hung up on a wall and a small cooler was situated next to the couch. A faded red rug sat in the middle.

Hayner moved to sit on top of the cooler while Pence and Olette took seats in chairs. Roxas led Sora over to the couch and took a seat on it. Sora looped his arm with Roxas's, perfectly content now that his brother was back by his side. Sometimes, Roxas wondered if Sora would even be able to function without him around. And, for some reason, Roxas liked that Sora was so dependable of him. He was the closest person he had, and he was a person who actually cared about Roxas.

"So…" Sora started, looking among the group of friends. The three exchanged glances before Olette nodded and started.

"You remember when I talked about the Restoration Committee?" The twins nodded and Olette continued. "The Restoration Committee originally was created after the War of Radiance about fifty years ago. You guys know the story of the War of Radiance, right?"

"I… think so." Roxas started, to which his brother blinked blankly at him. "The War of Radiance was when Radiant Garden was changed into Hollow Bastion, right?"

Olette nodded. "Yeah. It's rumored that an army from a neighboring country stormed into Radiant Garden after some political disputes and took over, renaming the city in their honor. Since then, a lot of the city has been in ruins. The Restoration Committee formed under a man named Merlin, and has been running strong since then."

"Alright… But when did they become keepers of the peace?" Roxas questioned, remembering the little detail Olette had told him before.

"Roughly seven years ago." Pence piped up. "There really wasn't much trouble in Hollow Bastion after the war. Things calmed down and people accepted the fact that Radiant Garden was no more. The people here were never fighters, so they didn't think to fight for the honor of their city." He shrugged before continuing. "About ten years ago, we gained a new governor of Hollow Bastion. For forty years or so, there were foreign soldiers watching over their territory, but when the new governor, Ansem, took office, he dismissed the soldiers, and they, for some reason, listened. We're not really too sure on the details." Another shrug.

"But after that." Hayner cut in. "About three years passed before trouble started up in Hollow Bastion. A group of five kids from Radiance High School started up some weird-ass cult thing. They called themselves 'Organization X' and believed they were the best things next to sliced bread."

"They're called Organization X for multiple reasons." Olette continued. "For one, all of their members have the letter 'x' somewhere in their names. Another reason for their name, usually used by other people, is because they are very picky about who is in their group and target people with the letter 'x' in their names. This has happened multiple times throughout our years of school."

"The letter 'x'…?" Sora asked, visibly paling. He tightened his grip on Roxas's arm.

"Exactly why I was a little worried when Roxas had gone off on his own." Olette said with a grim look. "Organization X is dangerous. At first, they were considered virtually harmless… Until they completely destroyed a laboratory in downtown Hollow Bastion, doing some weird experiments. Since then, they've been watched carefully by the Restoration Committee. And because of Organization X, other gangs have risen up from the slums and have been trying to challenge them for the spot of 'top gang of Hollow Bastion.' The Disciplinary Committee formed just a few years ago with the rising gang activity."

The twins were silent for a long moment. Roxas finally spoke up.

"What in the world have we gotten ourselves into?" He asked, a small laugh erupting from the back of his throat. He shook his head and laughed a little more as Sora looked at him as if he'd gone crazy. Roxas laughed for a moment longer before settling down and sighing. "I miss the simple island life…"

The three natives to the city exchanged worried glances, to which Roxas looked back up at them and quickly spoke. "Not to say that I hate it here. It's not that bad. Just… some of the weird gangs are something I don't quite care for."

"That's why you stick with us. The bigger the group, the less likely you're to be targeted." And with that, Hayner stood from the cooler and opened it, cool air blasting up at him. He reached in and pulled out a box of popsicles. "Who wants popsicles?" He asked, to which Sora perked up. Roxas couldn't help but snort lightly at his brother, who was scared shitless one second, and perking up at the mention of a popsicle the next.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"_Simply amazing, Roxas."_

"_Axel…"_

"_You really do remember me this time? I'm SO FLATTERED! But you're too late!!"_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"NO!"

Sora shot up in bed at the sound of his brother's cry. He looked over to see Roxas sitting up in bed, hunched over himself and breathing hard. His face was covered in sweat and he was shaking.

Roxas felt like he was on fire. His skin burned and he threw his blankets off in order to open himself up to the cool air of the bedroom. He gasped for air, and he was parched, as if he hadn't had anything to drink for days.

Sora bolted over to his brother's bed and sat next to him, placing his hands on Roxas's arm. "Roxas?!" He called out in worry, to which he was met with distant blue eyes. It was a few seconds before the eyes came into focus and blinked.

"S…Sora?"

"I'm here, Roxas. What's wrong? Do you feel sick?" Roxas shook his head.

"I just… had a weird dream…" He shook his head again and ran his fingers through his damp, blonde locks, grimacing at the feel. He would definitely need to take a shower. "I'm… going to go take a shower." He moved to get up from the bed, but Sora stopped him, gazing at him in concern.

"Maybe you should lie back down…" He suggested, but his twin merely shook his head.

"I don't want to lie back down… I just want to go take a cold shower." He glanced over at the clock. "And I only have about five minutes to do that."

"You should stay home today…"

"Mom wouldn't be too pleased."

"You look like a wreck!"

"Oh, gee, thanks, Sora."

"I'm not saying it to be mean… You look like you might be coming down with something, though… I'm sure Mom would understand you missing just one day, just in case you might be getting sick."

Roxas sighed. Sora was stubborn and Roxas had no energy to argue with the boy. "Fine… You go tell Mom, I'm going to take my shower."

The blonde got up from the bed and left the room, walking to the bathroom just next door. He turned the hot water on just enough that he wouldn't freeze to death when he turned the cold water all the way up. He stripped of his damp bed clothes and stepped under the water. He let out a small gasp at the feeling of the water, but didn't make any motion to change the temperature.

After his shower, as he re-entered his bedroom, he found Sora dressed for school, pulling his backpack on. The brunette glanced over at his brother and gave him a smile.

"Mom said you could stay home today. I'll see you after school, kay?"

Roxas gave a faint nod as his brother gave him a hug and walked out of the room. The blonde stood in the middle of the room for a long moment before he walked over to his window, gazing out it. He couldn't see much other than the houses that surrounded his and let out a sigh before walking back to his dresser. He simply pulled out a pair of blue boxers and dried himself off with his towel before sliding them on.

When he walked over to his bed, he raised an eyebrow. Weren't his sheets blue earlier…? Now they were dark green. When he sat down, he felt the cool material beneath him and he found that his whole bed had been remade. He felt his chest clench slightly. Sora must have done this for him while he was in the shower…

He fell back to lie on his bed and stare up at the ceiling.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"_You… you were never supposed to exist, Roxas."_

"_What…? How could you even say such a thing… even if it were true?"_

"_I'm sorry. I guess some things are better left unsaid."_

"_Roxas?"_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

When his eyes snapped open, Sora was sitting next to him, his eyes gazing down at his brother in concern. Roxas's eyebrows narrowed in confusion and he glanced over at the clock, which read four o'clock. Had he fallen asleep again?

"Are you okay?" The brunette asked, to which the blonde sat up and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Y-yeah… Just another weird dream… I think." He blinked before shaking his head. "How was school?"

Sora paused before deciding to drop the previous subject and move into the next one. "It was pretty cool, actually. Hayner, Pence, and Olette were busy at lunch today, so I started to eat by myself, but I met two new friends who let me sit at their table with them!"

"Oh? What are their names?" Roxas asked, trying to ignore the pang of jealousy that hit his chest.

"One of them is a junior named Riku Miyano, and the other is a girl in my Home Economics class named Kairi Uchida. They're really nice~!" Sora gave a big grin, to which his brother couldn't help but give a small smile in return.

"That's cool, Sora. I'm glad you're making so many new friends."

And Roxas was happy for his brother. Roxas didn't mind solitude or the fact that most of his friends were gained through Sora. Sora was someone who thrived on the attention and friendship of others.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Sora hopped off the bed and walked over to pick up his backpack. He shuffled through it before he took out a packet of paper. He returned to Roxas and held the packet out, to which the blonde took it and looked through it with a raised eyebrow. "A girl with blonde hair and lots of white came up and told me to give this to you."

Only the first page was instructions for an art project. The second page was a note.

'_Roxas,_

_We're doing a partner art project in art class. Since you weren't here today, I had the teacher make you my partner so you wouldn't be left out. The following pages are a few sketches that we could use for the project. Let me know what you think next time you're in class._

_Naminé'_

"She gave it to me at lunch and told me to tell you that she hopes you feel better."

"Naminé came to you at lunch…?" Roxas looked up, a small frown placed on his lips.

"Yeah, but just long enough to drop off the packet." Sora shrugged. "Why?"

"No reason…" Roxas shook his head and set the packet back down on the bed. He swung his legs over the edge and stood up, stretching his arms out. He'd slept the whole day, yet he still felt so worn out.

"Hey, you wanna go play Soul Calibur?" Sora suddenly asked, his eyes lighting up. Roxas raised an eyebrow, but couldn't help but smile.

"Sure, but don't cry when I kick your ass."

"You're on!!"

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_Another story has begun._

_Age old friends have found each other again. I wonder if they both dream, just like the light and the flame… It doesn't matter, though. Just as long as I can see their story… I just have to wonder if they'll start remembering._

_I suppose I should be getting a new sketch book… Now, where did I put my wallet…_


	5. Red Spice and Strobe Lights

**Beneath the Blue Sky**

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts and all related characters belong to Square Enix.**  
Rated:** T+ (15+)  
**Pairings:** (Main) Axel x Roxas, (Side) Riku x Sora, (Hints of) Zexion x Demyx / Leon x Cloud  
**Chapter Word Count:** 3,316  
**Total Word Count (Ch. 1-5): **16,127  
**Beta'd by: **Karinta24

**Authoress Notes: **Sorry for the delay in updating! However, I think it's worth it, because I really like how this chapter came out and I really hope that you guys like the events of the chapter! Not much else to note, but if you're a Soriku fan, I have a feeling you'll like Chapter 6… Just giving a heads up for the next chapter! =D So, enough with the stalling, let's get on with the AkuRoku-ness…Oh, did I say that out loud?

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Five: Red Spice and Strobe Lights**

"_Hey, Roxas. Bet you don't know why the sun sets red. You see, light is made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest."_

"_Like I asked! Know-it-all."_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Roxas didn't wake up screaming. He didn't even wake up with a cry caught in the back of his throat. There was no sweat, no tears… Nothing but a lingering feeling of warmth in his chest. It was… nice.

It had been almost three weeks since the twins had arrived in Hollow Bastion. Nothing out of the ordinary happened since the day that Roxas had (officially) met Axel, and the blonde wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried. On one hand, he didn't need any more bullshit… But on the other, he hadn't seen the red-haired boy since that day. Didn't they go to the same school? Or had it just been by chance that Axel had been visiting the school the day that Naminé was nearly attacked by the girls from art class?

Naminé… She never spoke of the incident after it happened. Roxas had tried once or twice to ask about the girls, but got nothing more than a smile before the pale girl would change the subject. And after their project was turned in, Naminé had become rather quiet during class, only saying a quick hello when Roxas would come to their shared table before class. He began to wonder what he might have done to make her so quiet around him. Then again, she was just a general enigma…

Since Sora had met Riku and Kairi, he'd been making little schedules to mark which days he'd have lunch with his two friends, and which days he would have lunch with Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Roxas generally stayed with the original three that he'd met, not really feeling comfortable with barging into Sora's life any more than he already had. It was nice to see his brother becoming the social butterfly he used to be back on Destiny Islands.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette were very welcoming of Roxas to their lunch table each day. Roxas found this odd, different, but it was comforting to know that he was able to socially function without Sora glued to his side. Roxas was always included in the conversation of the day and the blonde found himself opening up to the group. However, never did he ask anything about Naminé or Axel. He somehow felt that there was a reason that the two didn't interact with the little social group he was part of.

Roxas wasn't going to let the mysteries go unsolved, though…

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Axel."

Naminé looked up from her drawing, blinking at the boy next to her.

"Excuse me?"

"Axel… You know him, right?"

The pale girl was very quiet for a moment, studying Roxas in her silence. The boy felt slightly uncomfortable under her gaze, but didn't dare say anything in fear of not getting a response to his question. There was about half a minute of silence before the girl finally nodded, her eyes never leaving Roxas's.

"Yes."

The silence arrived again, though Roxas decided to break it after another fifteen seconds passed. While it was true that they had all class period to discuss (for, you see, there was a substitute teacher for art class and so the assignment written on the board instructed the class to work on their individual projects), Roxas didn't want to waste any time that didn't need to be wasted. He wanted answers.

"He goes to our school, right…?"

Another nod came from the girl. And another silence. This time, Roxas didn't bother trying to break it. He just gave a small nod and turned back to his drawing in front of him, bringing his pencil to the paper and continuing on the sketch he'd begun.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

That Tuesday had been the first day that Roxas noticed the group sitting at the back table in the cafeteria. In the almost-three weeks he'd been attending Radiant High School, he'd only really examined the cafeteria once or twice, when he'd first been searching for the table that Sora and the others occupied. Now that he had the spot memorized, he never really had a reason to look around the cafeteria… But that Tuesday, he caught sight of red spikes which, in turn, caused him to examine the group at the table.

There were a total of four people sitting around the isolated table. One of them was the red head that Roxas had become particularly interested in. Seated with him were two blondes and a teen with steel-blue hair. One blonde, whose hair looked more yellow than actual blonde and it looked like she had antennas coming out her head, was ripping up a napkin, looking rather bored as she did so. The other blonde was writing furiously on a piece of paper, bottom lip being nibbled on as he did so. The steel-blue haired teen, whose face was almost completely hidden, was looking down at a book on the table. The group seemed detached from the rest of the cafeteria, and even seemed a little detached from each other.

"Roxas?"

The boy's attention was torn from the odd group when Hayner snapped his fingers and spoke his name.

"Huh?"

"Geez, space-case much?" Hayner rolled his eyes before poking at the food in front of him. "I was asking if you were interested in hanging out this Friday. 'Lette, Pence, and I go to this really cool club every weekend."

"Club?" They were still in high school. Could they really go clubbing?

"It's a club specifically designed for teenagers to go on the weekends, so they won't be tempted to sneak into the adult clubs. It's a lot like a real club, only no alcohol and it closes at one." Olette explained to the confused islander. Roxas made an 'o' with his mouth at the explanation before giving a small shrug.

"I suppose I could try to go."

"Awesome." Hayner stood up from his chair. "I'm going to head over and ask Sora if he wants to come, too."

Roxas turned his attention back to his food for a moment while Hayner left. Olette had turned to ask Pence something, so he felt it was safe enough to look back over at the group across the cafeteria. It looked like Axel was talking casually to the group, waving his hand in a sort of circular motion as if he were enunciating his words with hand movements. The female blonde continued to rip up her napkin, the male blonde continued to write, and the steel-blue haired boy continued to read. It almost looked as if Axel was being ignored, but he would see the occasional movement of lips from the other tablemates.

And as Roxas sat there… He found himself wanting nothing more than to be sitting at the new table he'd discovered, listening to Axel ramble on about something. For some reason, he felt that it would be more natural for him to be in their company, rather than with Hayner, Pence, and Olette… But no matter how strong that want was, Roxas would not get up from his seat until the bell rang and he wandered off to class.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The whole rest of the week went by like a flash. Each day at lunch would be spent half listening to the conversation of the day and half watching the group at the back table. Each morning in art class would be spent glancing over at the quiet artist who stopped saying hello before class. Each evening would be spent doing homework and kicking his brother's ass in video games. Each night would be spent dreamless, waking with an empty feeling the next morning.

Friday came and the school day passed without incident. It wasn't until that evening that things spiced up. Roxas and Sora went home to let their mother know that they'd be out late with friends. Megumi had been supportive of her sons' new-found friends and told them to call if they'd be later than ten o'clock. The twins went to their room to change out of their school clothes and into a pair of clothes that would be comfortable to wear to the club.

Sora chose an outfit that consisted of a blue t-shirt worn over a darker blue long sleeved shirt and jeans with simple sneakers. Roxas chose to wear a short sleeved black t-shirt with an abstract white design, a pair of baggy black pants held up with a black and white belt, his checkered wristband and rings, and a pair of black shoes. Both looked rather normal, but at least they weren't wearing the same clothes they'd worn to school. That'd look pretty lame.

They met Hayner, Pence, and Olette at the Usual Spot just as Sora's phone rang in his pocket. The brunette rushed to answer the ringing device and sounded pleased when he finished his conversation. He announced to the group that they'd be meeting Riku and Kairi outside the club. And suddenly, Roxas had never felt more left out. Sora would be with Riku and Kairi, and the other group of three made it so Roxas would just be the fourth member of two groups that seemed perfectly content at being in threes. He didn't voice this, though, and merely smiled at his brother's enthusiasm.

The club was called 'Traverse' and definitely had the feeling of a club. The lights were flashing in different colors on the dance floor as a band played up on the stage. Toward the back of the club, there was a console set where a man sat with a large headset. He moved his hands over different switches and sliding buttons, which seemed to control the lights on the stage. At the far left side of the large room was what looked like a bar, but was actually a place to get sodas and smoothies. To the far right side of the room was a few doors that led off into other rooms. Roxas didn't bother to ask about the other rooms, though, as his friends all started to move about the club.

At first, Roxas followed closely behind Sora, but eventually gave up when the bouncy brunette wandered into the crowd of dancers with his two newer friends. The blonde made his way over to the 'bar'. He took a seat at the counter and ordered himself a bottle of water. He hadn't been doing much moving, but the fact that there were many bodies dancing about in the club and the lights were bright and irregular, Roxas felt a little warm. He opened the bottle and took a sip before shutting it and placing it against his forehead. Ahhh, it felt so nice…

Roxas looked back toward the dance floor and wondered briefly if his brother had even noticed that he was missing. Probably not. He was half tempted to leave the club and text Sora that he'd be off elsewhere until he was done, but he was sure that Sora would leave immediately in search of him. He didn't want to draw his brother away from his new friends, especially when he seemed like he was really having a lot of fun. Sora was known to make stupid sacrifices, and Roxas really didn't have the heart to be so cruel.

There was a brief moment of downtime when the band onstage had finished up, but then a bunch of techno music started playing through an overhead sound system and the teenagers went back to their dancing and nonsense. Roxas noted, out of the corner of his eye, that the man that had been sitting at the large set of consoles had left along with the band, leaving it unoccupied. He decided it couldn't hurt to go take a look at it. He wouldn't dare touch it, but it looked pretty intriguing.

And Roxas was right. All the switches, sliders, buttons, knobs, everything… It all looked so complicated, but so amazingly awesome. He found himself wondering how in the world the previous guy had been able to work with it so well. He must have had years of practice in order to remember what everything on the console did. He found himself wanting to reach out and touch something, but he refrained… He knew he'd probably end up fucking something up and didn't quite have the means to pay back any damage he might cause.

Roxas eventually tore his gaze from the hundreds of buttons and turned around to walk back to his seat at the bar, only to find himself nose to shoulder with another body. He stumbled backward and would have definitely hit the console if it weren't for the hand that shot out and grabbed his arm, pulling his body back until it hit up against a chest and stayed steady.

In those few seconds were Roxas's face was pressed against the soft material of a t-shirt, the blonde could swear that everything was right in the world. There was an odd warmth he felt when an arm wrapped around him to make sure he wouldn't fall. The scent he inhaled nearly knocked him off his feet, a mixture of red spice and cigarette smoke… It was absolutely mouth watering. And then, there was that cool voice that sent shivers down his spine.

"Hey, you alright?"

Roxas gazed up, dazed, at the person he'd run into. Green… Oh! Green! Green eyes, dark-purple tear drop tattoos, pale skin… Red spikes.

Axel.

"H-huh…?" Was the only thing Roxas managed to sputter out. This caused the taller male to frown and bring his hand to Roxas's forehead.

"A little warm… Then again, can't really tell in this kind of environment…"

"Axel..?"

At the sound of his name, the red-head's lips split into a wide grin. "You remembered. Good boy." The red-head patted the top of the smaller boy's head.

"Y-yeah… How could I forget someone like you. Not many people out there with hair like yours." Roxas replied, trying to sound casual. He wondered if he sounded as stupid as he thought he did. If he did, though, Axel didn't make any note of it.

"Touché, blondie."

"Roxas."

"Pardon?"

"My name. It's not blondie… It's Roxas."

"Ahhh… So that's why…"

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing." Axel gave a grin, waving his hand in dismissal of the comment he had previously made. Roxas wanted to question more on it, but the other male moved over to the set of consoles and sat down in the large chair, picking up the headset and placing it around his neck for the moment.

"I don't think you should be messing with that…" Roxas started, only to hear Axel laugh. Roxas decided that he very much liked that sound.

"Silly Roxas. I kind of work these things all the time." He smiled and ran his fingers through his wild spikes. "The band going on stage is my friend's. I'm his number one techie and I run all of his shows from whatever booth or set of thingymabobs I'm given."

Roxas looked at the stage to find that one of Axel's tablemates from lunch was standing up on the stage. He was setting up a microphone with his instrument slung across his back. The large instrument was blue and had some strange designs, but Roxas immediately found them awesome. He'd have to ask Axel about it when he got the chance…

But would he really get the chance to ask Axel anything? Right now, he would be busy working the stage lights and the sound system for the band and would be unable to speak to Roxas. After, he was sure that Axel would probably leave the club with the rest of the band. And then Roxas would never have the guts to go up to him at school… So it looked like he was doomed to watching Axel work the control system in front of them.

Roxas had to admit… It was pretty awesome. The red-haired male made it look so easy, the way he had that bored look on his face while working the different switches. The band sounded great, even from the back where Roxas stood watching Axel. The lights accented the stage wonderfully and the echo effect of the vocalist really sent haunting chills down Roxas's back. The whole show left Roxas in awe, and he was disappointed when it came to an end.

Axel took off the headset and pressed a button up at the corner of the console. It turned the techno music back on for the rest of the club to enjoy. He stood up from the chair and stretched before he noticed that Roxas really hadn't moved from his spot. This caused green eyes to blink in a confused manner before a smile slid onto his lips.

"Hey." He said casually as he walked over.

"Hey, yourself." The blonde boy said, a small smile sliding onto his lips.

"How you doing?"

The comment made Roxas laugh a little, to which Axel couldn't help but grin at.

"You're so weird."

"Why, thank you. I have done my job well."

Roxas smiled and opened up his water to take a drink. However, he found the water taken from him and watched as the red head tilted his head back and water-falled the liquid into his mouth. There was still some left when he handed back the water, and he grinned down at Roxas.

"Sorry, but I really needed a drink."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "You could have just asked."

"But that's no fun."

"You're weird."

"Thank you."

The two stared at each other before laughing.

Roxas didn't remember the last time he'd laughed so much. But Axel seemed to just say the right things in such a way that Roxas couldn't help but laugh. It was like there was some connection they shared, despite the fact that they'd only officially known each other for a short time…

"So, what brings you here?" Axel asked as they sat at the bar together. The red-haired male had bought Roxas another bottle of water and was currently downing some of the soda he just bought.

"My brother and some friends wanted me to come along, but I'm not much for dancing alone." The blonde gave a shrug.

"So, instead, you went to go look around at some electronical-device and run smack into my shoulder?"

"Pretty much." The blonde shrugged again, to which Axel smiled and drank some more soda. He then took Roxas's bottle and placed it with his glass of soda. He took the smaller boy's wrist and started to drag him toward the dance floor. "Wh-what…?"

"Well, you didn't want to dance alone. So dance with me."

Roxas found he couldn't protest. And he was glad he didn't. The two danced together, occasionally brushing close together in their movements, and Roxas could practically feel the fire between them. It was exhilarating beyond all words…

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

When Roxas left the club that night, meeting up with his brother outside the club, he had a new phone number in his cell phone, and an open invitation to eat lunch with a new red-haired friend…

And he couldn't be happier, that grin never leaving his face the whole walk home.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_I feel like this is the eye of the storm…_

_Something is going to happen soon. I can feel it deep within… This is only just a calm. Hell is going to break loose from this point, and I can only pray that this time, there is a happy ending… And that no sacrifices need be made to assure the safety of others._

_Sky, land, fire, light… I feel like each one is going to be turned upside down._


	6. Silver Threats and Red Promises

**Beneath the Blue Sky**

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts and all related characters belong to Square Enix.**  
Rated:** T+ (15+)  
**Pairings:** (Main) Axel x Roxas, (Side) Riku x Sora, (Hints of) Zexion x Demyx / Leon x Cloud  
**Chapter Word Count:** 4,247  
**Total Word Count: **20,374  
**Beta'd by: **Karinta24

**Authoress Notes: **I very much apologize for the long delay. I had meant to get this chapter out much sooner than this, but I ended up getting so very busy and then my muse fell out from under me and it was just a horrible mess. But I was able to get my mind set straight and was able to get to work on finishing up the chapter. So many disasters have tried to keep me from posting this (Car accident, school bull-shit, crappy Valentine's Day, plumbing breaking in the house, etc.), but I finally was able to finish it and ship it over to Karinta, who beta'd it, fixed my silly errors, and told me it was time to post... Sooo... Without further ado, I present to you, Chapter Six! =D

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**Chapter Six: Silver Threats and Red Promises**

"Uh-huh… Uh-huh… Yeah, probably… I'll have enough… Maybe some soda, if you guys like it. Mom doesn't keep a lot in the house… Uh-huh…"

This is what Roxas woke up to that following Saturday morning. They'd come home from the club at roughly eleven thirty, and Roxas had passed out shortly after that. However, it was seven in the morning, now, and Sora was talking on the phone…

Oh, there would soon be a dead brunette in the Irino household.

"Yes, on Garden Street. Fifth house on the left if you come from Yen Avenue, eighth house on the right if you come from Sid Avenue… Okay… Awesome, I'll see you guys then!"

Sora said his goodbye and Roxas groaned as he rolled over. He knew it would probably be a lost cause trying to get back so sleep, so he lied in bed for a couple of seconds longer before finally sitting up. Sora blinked over at his twin, tilting his head curiously to the side. Roxas shot a cold glare in the boy's direction, causing the brunette's eyes to widen in surprise.

"E-eh…?"

"Seven… in the fucking morning…" The blonde twin growled as he stood up from bed. He might as well go throw his happy ass into the shower to attempt to wake him self up. He wasn't sure what he'd end up doing for the day, but a shower was a good way to start it.

When he'd returned to the bedroom, he found Sora straightening things up, which caused his twin to raise an eyebrow on his way over to gather up a set of clothes to wear for the day. The brunette didn't seem to even notice his brother until Roxas was half dressed in a pair of boxers and jeans. He was getting ready to pull his black and white long sleeved t-shirt over his head when he noticed his brother blinking at him.

"When did you get back?" Sora questioned, to which Roxas rolled his eyes and pulled the shirt on. He straightened it before picking his cell phone up off the night stand and shoving it into his pocket. A yawn passed his lips, to which Sora winced slightly. He felt bad that he'd woken his brother up, but the phone call had been really important!

"I… I'm sorry I woke you up, Roxas…" The boy muttered, a small pout upon his lips. Roxas looked over his shoulder to the brunette.

"Who in the world were you on the phone with at seven in the morning on a Saturday?" Roxas still couldn't get over the fact.

"I called Kairi after she sent me a text to say she was awake. She and Riku are coming over later to work on some homework and hang out." He smiled brightly, and Roxas couldn't stay upset for long… Sora always had that affect on people. He was like a walking ray of sunshine, as lame as that sounded.

"Sounds like fun." The blonde ran his fingers through his hair and turned back to his own bed. Great… Sora was having friends over, which meant he should probably get lost… But he needed an excuse. Sora would try to beg Roxas to stay and hang out with his new friends if he knew that Roxas probably didn't have anywhere to go or anyone to hang out with that day…

Oh god, who to call… Hayner, Pence, and Olette were really the only people he knew the phone numbers of. However, he doubted that he would be able to call just one of them seeing as they seemed to travel in a pack… Roxas wasn't in the mood for a crowd of friends today. Hell, he was hardly in the mood for one friend, but there wasn't much he could do. It was either that one friend, or being stuck with Sora and his two friends.

A beeping sound came from his pocket and he reached in to pull out his cell phone. He flipped open the device to look at the screen and found he had a text message.

Axel.

'_You awake? Hope I didn't wake you up or anything, but I'm bored as fuck and what better way to spend the day than with a new buddy? Text me when you're up.'_

Axel never came across as a guy who would use good grammar in a text message. Then again, never judge a book by its cover. It may come to surprise you. Roxas couldn't help but smile a little, before realizing that Axel could be his escape. He quickly clicked the reply button and launched his thumbs into a response.

'_Was already up. Wanna meet up somewhere later?'_

It was short and simple. He sent the text and sat down on his bed, awaiting a response. It was only about a minute before the phone beeped again and he flipped it open.

'_How does pizza for breakfast sound?'_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

That's how Roxas found himself at Minnie's Pizza Parlor on the corner of Mickey Street, sitting across from a red haired young man with the most amazing green eyes. Between them was a half supreme, half pepperoni pizza that they were sharing. Roxas wasn't much of a fan of all the ingredients found on a supreme pizza, so he opted for the pepperoni since it was the kind of pizza he and Sora had been eating forever.

When Roxas had arrived at the parlor, he had found Axel leaning on a streetlight pole, a headset placed over his ears to block out the sounds around him. His mouth moved quickly to the words of the song, but not a sound escaped from those barely parted lips. When Roxas came to stand in front of him, those green eyes opened up and a grin spread across his mouth as he pulled the headset from his ears, letting it fall around his neck. Roxas could still hear the music playing quite loudly, but it was immediately silenced when Axel pressed a button on his Mp3 player. A greeting was shared before they went inside, and besides voicing their orders, the breakfast was silent.

Until the red-head broke the silence.

"How long you been living in Hollow Bastion?" He asked after swallowing a bite of crust. Blue eyes looked up from a piece of pepperoni to the male across from him. There was a bit of a pause as Roxas turned his gaze upward, trying to think of exactly how long it had been since they'd moved to the city.

"Once Wednesday rolls around, we'll have been here for four weeks."

A red eyebrow rose. "You've been here a month?" Roxas nodded. "Hm… Seems shorter than that… Then again, it doesn't help that I didn't show up at school for a week…" The red-head mused aloud.

"Why did you miss a week?" The blonde tilted his head to the side curiously.

"Mom got sick, so I stayed home to take care of her for two days, and then I got sick and had to stay home the rest of the week in order to get better." The older teen shrugged.

Never judge a book by its cover.

Those words went through Roxas's head as he gave a small nod of realization and then took a bite of his pizza. Axel was such a mystery to him… He looked like a rebel with wild red hair, tattoos on his face, and a piercing in one ear. When Roxas took a moment to take a look at the clothing the other male wore, he realized Axel looked rather normal. A long sleeved grey shirt was worn underneath a dark green t-shirt, along with a pair of jeans and black sneakers. The only things that seemed slightly out of place were the wristbands he wore around his wrists, though Roxas only noticed them beneath the sleeves of the red-head's shirt because they caused a rise in the material.

Silence fell between them again. Axel reached over for his third slice of pizza while Roxas had only just finished his first piece. He wondered where Axel put all of that food, considering he was very lean. It didn't look very healthy, but the blonde supposed he shouldn't judge more than he already had. Axel could just have a fast metabolism or something.

"You know Naminé." Roxas finally ended up saying after wracking his brain for a subject of discussion. Axel glanced up from his food and gave a small nod.

"Yeah. We've known each other for a couple of years." He gave a casual shrug.

"How come she sits by herself at lunch?" Roxas couldn't help but ask. A small frown slid onto Axel's lips and the red-head gave another shrug, looking back at his food.

"There's been some… disagreements between her and my friends. We decided it best to keep our distance from each other, as not to upset the balance. It helps to avoid the drama." An odd, dark look came to those piercing green eyes, and Roxas decided it would be best to just drop the subject.

Silence fell again, but they took the time to polish off their meals. After they paid for the breakfast, they departed out into the mid-morning. They had killed about an hour and a half in the pizza parlor, marking it at about nine-thirty in the morning. Since it was Saturday, there were more people wandering about the city, even though it was still rather early in the morning.

"What now?" Roxas asked, glancing over at the taller male. Slender shoulders shrugged at the question as green eyes surveyed the area around them. Roxas figured Axel knew the area better than he did. Roxas hardly ever went out into the city, so even though it was almost a month since they'd arrived, he hardly knew anything about the area, other than the few places that Hayner, Pence, and Olette had shown him and Sora.

"How's about I show you around town?"

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The rest of the morning and a good chunk of the afternoon had been spent exploring the major areas of Hollow Bastion. Everything was so new and so grand compared to the islands, and Axel was amused at Roxas's amazement at everything they'd seen. The community theatre, the various shops, the shopping mall, everything. They were all so huge and beautiful. However, Roxas would definitely have to say he liked Radiant Garden, the largest park in the whole city and the cities surrounding, the best.

The pair had spent most of their time in Radiant Garden, walking around and admiring the beauty of the trees, the statues, and the various fountains. Axel couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Roxas's face when he saw how large the pond in the park was. The park itself expanded about four miles east to west, and two miles north to south. The pond was easily at least a mile in diameter, though it cut through various areas of the park and there were many different bridges and island areas that people could wander around. Needless to say, it was breathtaking, especially to a newcomer.

It was roughly three in the afternoon when the pair had left the park and began their journey back through the city. People were still out and about, but there seemed to be less of a crowd in the areas that Axel was taking him back through. 'A shortcut,' Axel had called it. However, as they continued on, Roxas started to get a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something didn't feel right…

When Axel stopped, Roxas was sure his heart had stopped along with him. Standing about ten feet in front of them was the silver haired, golden eyed man from before. However, he wasn't alone. Next to Xemnas was another man, slightly shorter, but with the same intense look as Xemnas. His hair was blue and fell to just past his shoulder blades, styled in random spikes at the top of his head. His eyes, too, were also golden, and there was a scar between those haunting eyes.

The red-head at Roxas's side held an arm in front of the blonde, as if to keep him back… or to protect him from the men up ahead. They didn't move at first, just staring. Then, a smirk slid upon Xemnas's lips, which nearly caused Roxas to piss him self. Of course, he was able to keep control of his bladder… But he was shaking slightly. He didn't know what it was about the silver haired man, but he found himself just so scared, as if something horrible would happen if he found himself too close to the odd man.

"It's been a while, Axel." Xemnas said pleasantly, his smirk growing. Roxas barely managed to see the way Axel bared his teeth, in a similar fashion to a dog, in the direction of the two men.

"What do you want? We've done nothing to bother you." Axel spat out, not relaxing his stance.

"Can we not share a pleasant conversation with an old friend?" The man's eyes softened in fake hurt and Axel scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Nothing is pleasant between us. Not since…" Axel cut himself off and shook his head. "Fuck off. We have nothing to discuss."

"But on the contrary, we do." At this moment, Xemnas's eyes snapped over to Roxas, whose breath caught in his throat at the sudden eye contact. He gave a pleasant smile, one that made Roxas's stomach churn, as he took a step toward him and Axel. The red-head lurched forward threateningly, as if to warn Xemnas of the consequences of getting too close.

"Fuck. Off." Axel grit out.

"Can't I at least get his name? Something to satisfy my curiosity of the boy that you've become so taken with?" Xemnas asked, fake innocence lacing his tone. It took all Roxas had to not gag at the sound.

"Ch, like hell you'll get his name. And he's nothing you need to bother yourself with. Just some exchange student that'll be gone before you know it."

The only reason Roxas knew Axel was lying was because Roxas wasn't an exchange student. It was some lie in order to keep Xemnas away from Roxas…

And then it hit him. Axel. Xemnas… Both has the letter 'x' in their name, just like Roxas did.

'"_They're called Organization X for multiple reasons. For one, all of their members have the letter 'x' somewhere in their names. Another reason for their name, usually used by other people, is because they are very picky about who is in their group and target people with the letter 'x' in their names. This has happened multiple times throughout our years of school.'_

Axel and Xemnas both had something to do with this Organization. How involved they were, Roxas had no idea. Something deep down told him that Axel could very well be in the same position as Roxas, being targeted to be a potential member, but not an active member.

Gold held green before the smirk fell back upon Xemnas's face and he gave a simple nod.

"Very well. I shall bid you farewell, then." He turned his eyes back to Roxas. "We shall meet again."

"Don't count on it." Axel growled.

The two men caught gazes for a moment more before the silver haired man and his companion departed together.

Axel's stance did not relax until Xemnas and his friend were long gone. And even then, he seemed guarded. Roxas was afraid to ask anything, afraid to unleash the hidden wrath within the red-head. Then, a sigh escaped soft lips and Roxas looked up to see the tired expression on the taller male's face.

"Are you…?" Roxas started, to which Axel waved him off.

"Peachy… Let's get you home."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

It was four o'clock when Roxas and Axel stood at the front door to the Irino house. Axel had seemed to relax in the time they'd been walking together, much to Roxas's relief, but Roxas wasn't sure how to bring up the question that was plaguing his mind.

As Axel gave his good bye and turned to leave, Roxas found himself lurching forward to take Axel's arm in his hands. He nearly tripped, but Axel turned in time to catch him against his other arm and help him to his feet. However, like before, he moved to gently lace the fingers of one of his hands with those of one of Roxas's, gazing down at him.

"Hm?"

"I… What happened earlier…?" Roxas asked, suddenly finding himself breathless.

Axel offered an almost sad smile and shook his head. Instead he stepped forward and raised his other hand to gingerly touch the back of Roxas's head, pulling the smaller boy into his chest. Roxas shivered slightly when he felt Axel's lips move close to his ear.

"I can't explain things right now… But I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. Never speak your name to those men. The fact that your name is a mystery to them may be the only thing keeping them from getting to you."

At first, Roxas wondered how his name could be so valuable. He was sure it was easy to discover, just by overhearing conversations or snooping through school files, or even his bedroom. What good would it do to just not speak it?

"Can you promise me this?" Axel's voice sounded strained, pleading.

Roxas couldn't say no.

"Y-yes…" He whispered in return, unable to raise his voice any louder.

He couldn't see the smile that spread across Axel's lips until the man stepped back, squeezing Roxas's hand in his own for a moment. Green met blue once more for a few long moments, before Axel stepped back.

"I'll text you later." He promised, to which Roxas dumbly nodded. They parted with their hands connected until the very last moment. And then, Axel left, turning down the street and disappearing around the next corner.

Roxas stood at his front door for at least five minutes before he could finally bring himself to turn around and walk into the house.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Roxas was not prepared for what he saw when he opened the door to his bedroom without knocking.

Sora was sprawled on his back on his bed, his shirt halfway up his thin, tan torso. On top of him was someone with shoulder length silver hair, their hands softly caressing the skin of Sora's chest. Their lips were connected in a deep kiss, and Roxas could have sworn he'd seen the pink of tongues before the two noticed they had an audience.

The silver haired person on top of Sora quickly flew off the boy, landing on their feet. Roxas couldn't see their face, which was facing Sora, but he was sure the expression mirrored the confused, horrified look that was on his brother's face. And then, after only about a second passing, the silver haired person grabbed a backpack off the floor, grabbed a book and a binder off the bed, crammed the items into the backpack, and turned to quickly leave. As the person's shoulder connected with Roxas's in their departure, the blonde was able to catch features that belonged not to a woman…

But to a man.

There was a long silence as Roxas stood staring after the stranger who had left. It felt like forever before Roxas slowly turned his head to look at his brunette brother. Sora had sat up in the time that Roxas had been staring after the person and had straightened himself out, but his blue eyes looked incredibly lost and confused.

"Sor--" Roxas started, but was cut off.

"I don't know how it happened." Sora suddenly said. Roxas frowned and shut their bedroom door behind him as he walked over to his brother's bed. Sora was staring down at the bed when his twin sat down upon it. The brunette silenced himself, shutting his mouth. His bottom lip quivered a little, to Roxas's dismay. It had been a while since he'd seen Sora so worked up.

"Sora…" Roxas's tone was gentle, trying to coax his brother into talking. All his earlier problems were wiped away by his concern for his brother. The silence continued on for about a minute before Sora finally spoke, his voice shaking.

"All I remember… is we were doing homework together and we were talking… And then, we said something…" His eyebrows drew together in concentration. "Or maybe we looked at each other… Or something…" He shook his head. "Whatever it was, all I know is something happened… And then, I found myself on my back… And we were kissing."

Roxas wasn't sure what to say at first. All he knew was he felt some negative energy building up in his chest and stomach. It took him a moment to realize it was rage before his eyebrows narrowed, his eyes turning to a glare.

"Did he force himself on you?" The blonde demanded to know. He didn't mean to direct his anger toward the brunette, but he felt it bubbling inside and he wouldn't be able to contain it too much longer.

"I… I don't know…" Sora whispered, unable to look up at his brother. "It might have been mutual… I just… I don't know…"

Roxas felt his anger slowly fade when he looked back at his brother's lost expression. A soft sigh escaped formally scowling lips and the blonde moved forward to wrap his arms around the boy. At first, Sora had tensed up and nearly drew away from his brother, but then he slowly calmed and leaned fully against Roxas, shaking, but not crying.

A few minutes passed before Sora moved back and gave a weak smile up at his slightly older brother. Roxas couldn't help but return it as best he could. Then the brunette sighed and sat back on the bed, his eyes turning to gaze back down at the bed.

"Man, I wonder what would have happened if Kairi had shown up…"

"So that was Riku?" Roxas asked, suddenly remembering the name of the other friend that Sora had befriended in his absence from school.

"Yeah…" Sora let out another sigh before he fell back on his bed, staring up at his ceiling.

Silence filled between them and Roxas wasn't sure what else to say to his brother. He was mere milliseconds from getting off the bed when Sora spoke again.

"So, what did you do while you were out?"

Roxas blinked before shrugging. "I went out with a friend for breakfast. He then proceeded to show me around the town. Nothing too fancy."

"Oh? My darling brother has a friend he hasn't bothered to tell me about?" A smirk slid onto the boy's lips, to which Roxas blinked. "Tell me about him~! Name, how you met him. You know, the good stuff!"

Roxas blinked again before letting another shrug come to his shoulders. "Remember the guy who saved me and Naminé last week?" Sora nodded. "Well, it was him. Axel. We met again at the club. He was running the sound and lights for one of the bands that went on stage. We exchanged phone numbers and since he was bored, I headed out so you could have some time alone with your friends… But now, I see that was a mistake." His eyes narrowed toward the bed. "Speaking of friends… Where was your other friend? Kairi?"

"She ended up not being able to make it. Her mother had to work a double shift today and she had to stay home to watch her little sisters. She called up after Riku showed up, and Riku and I decided that we could at least some homework done together…" Sora shrugged before he sat up. "I feel like tacos."

There was a brief silence between the two after that comment before Roxas snickered… And then proceeded to burst into full-out laughter. Sora grinned and couldn't help but join in on the laughing. It was a pretty random comment.

"You're so stupid, Sora." Roxas said between laughs and gasps.

"But you love me anyways!" Sora grinned and tackled his brother to the bed. The two wrestled for a little bit before Sora jumped up to his feet. "Let's go see if Mom will make tacos for dinner~."

Roxas laughed and shook his head before he stood up. "Alright, alright."

The two left the bedroom, their worries left behind in their search for tacos.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_The light is in danger._

_As long as he's kept in the dark, he'll be in danger._

_They'll get him soon…_

_I don't know if there's anything I can do to stop these events from happening… In the end, there's a very good chance that it'll end up being my fault._

_But I need to warn him…_

_God, if only I could finish my art… Maybe it could tell me what the future might hold?_

_Oh, if only…_


	7. Red Rebellion and the Multicolor Monday

**Beneath the Blue Sky**

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts and all related characters belong to Square Enix.**  
Rated:** T+ (15+)  
**Pairings:** (Main) Axel x Roxas, (Side) Riku x Sora, (Hints of) Zexion x Demyx / Leon x Cloud  
**Chapter Word Count:** 4,201  
**Total Word Count: **24,575  
**Beta'd by: **Karinta24

**Authoress Notes: **Yay for alliteration in the chapter title! And don't worry if you don't understand the 'Red Rebellion' part. It'll be explained soon. So maybe a little bit of foreshadowing? :O I also finally have an idea on what I want to do for the plot, as well as some big ideas up ahead! With that said... Well, I don't have anything else to say. So have fun, and enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: **Red Rebellion and the Multicolor Monday

Monday – The worst day of the week. Why? Because it started up the school week after a nice weekend. The only time there was a good Monday was when there was a holiday, and then Tuesday became the wicked step-mother of the week until the following Monday.

So it would be quite fitting that this Monday would not be an exception to the rule.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Roxas… Roxas… ROXAS!!"

The blonde haired boy sat up quickly in bed, causing the top of his head to collide with his brother's jaw. The two cried out in pain for a moment as Sora tumbled off the bed and onto the floor, clutching his jaw. Roxas muttered a few curses under his breath as he rubbed his head and turned to look down at the brunette looking up at him.

"What the hell, Sora?"

Sora glared up for just a moment before rubbing his jaw and standing up.

"If you would have just woken up the first time, I wouldn't have had to yell."

"Why were you trying to get me up at all? The alarm hasn't gone off yet."

"Exactly. The power went out sometime last night. School starts in twenty minutes."

And that's when the race was on to get ready before the first bell. The twins fought for the shower before just hopping in together. Then there were fights for the shampoo and the soap. They continued their rush back to their bathroom after their shared shower and grabbed the first clean clothes they could find. For Sora, it was a red t-shirt with black shorts and his sneakers. For Roxas, it was a black t-shirt with black pants (that had light grey attachments at the bottom) and his black sneakers.

They scrambled for their school bags and made their way down to the living room, where their cousin waited impatiently with keys in hand. He looked to have woken up late as well, seeing as his choice of clothing was slightly ruffled and he was smoothing it down when the boys arrived.

"Put a move on!" Cloud ordered at the three went out the door. They made it out to the car and the boys barely had time to put their seatbelts on before Cloud backed out of the driveway and started down the road. A few of the turns he made were probably illegal, not to mention he neglected to stop at a stop sign at one point, but they made it to school with seconds to spare before the first bell.

Roxas bid a quick farewell to his brother and cousin and ran off for his first class, sitting down in his seat just as the second bell rang. He was breathless, but on time…

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The morning had gone horribly. There had been a pop-quiz in his first class due to obnoxiously loud classmates who refused to listen to the teacher. Art class had been a disaster when Roxas accidently knocked over the glass container that held a special kind of ink that Naminé had been previously using, causing the black ink to spill over Naminé's white sandals and her pale feet. She looked to be near tears when they had to take her to the nurse to wash up.

Lunch had arrived and Roxas wanted nothing more than to go home. He expected that lunch would probably be just as horrible as the morning had been. He felt a vibration in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone to find he had a text. Flipping open the phone and finding his inbox, he opened the unread text.

'_Interested in joining us for lunch?'_

It was Axel… But who was 'us?' He frowned a little but shook his head and clicked the reply button.

'_Where are you?'_

He sent the text and leaned against the wall outside the cafeteria, waiting for a response before he tried to go inside. He shut his eyes for a moment and let out a long sigh. Would anyone miss him if he decided to just ditch the rest of the day? Then again, seeing as his day had been shitty enough, he was sure he'd end up getting caught and then his mother would lecture and it would just be another headache.

"Well, looks like I won't need to respond through a text."

Roxas's eyes snapped open and he found himself staring into black. He looked up to see a pale face, following by smirking lips. He then took in more features as his eyes focused, and he found green eyes, purple tattoos, and red hair.

"So, I'll ask again… Interested in joining us for lunch?" The red-head repeated. Roxas blinked before shaking his head to clear his mind.

"Who's us?"

"My friends and I, of course."

Friends… It took Roxas a moment to remember the group that Axel had been sitting with the first time he'd seen him in the back of the cafeteria. He could hardly recall what they looked like; the only thing he could remember was that they seemed… isolated.

"Uhm… Sure." He made his decision.

He followed the taller male through the cafeteria until they reached the back table, where three people were already seated. As Roxas took in their appearances, he slowly began to remember how they'd looked the first time. There was hardly any difference between the two times. The female was still ripping up a napkin, her untouched food sitting a couple of inches away from her mountain of ripped napkin pieces. The boy with the steel-blue hair was giving his full attention to a book on his lap, ignoring the soda on the table in front of him. The only difference was the blonde haired boy was no longer writing furiously, but he was shoving some fries into his mouth while watching something on a small device in his other hand.

"Axel, I think we're going to have to look for a new designer." The boy with the device said, not looking up from his food or video. How he knew Axel had just arrived was a mystery to Roxas.

"Why do you say that?" The red-head questioned as he pulled over a chair from an empty table. He placed it next to another empty chair at the group's table and motioned for Roxas to take it as he sat in the second empty chair. The smaller blonde blinked before doing as he was silently told. It seemed the group hadn't yet noticed his arrival.

"Kara had been complaining that she felt like parts of her outfit felt loose during her performance. Watching the playback, she had to stop playing her guitar for a few notes to fix her sleeves. The only thing that kept me from noticing was Kaze was covering her." He pressed a few buttons before holding the device out to Axel. He froze, however, once his eyes landed on Roxas.

Axel took the small player and held it in front of him, pressing the play button as he observed what his friend had done. The other male continued to watch Roxas with curious, but careful, eyes.

"You're right. I hardly noticed from back at the booth. We'll need to talk to Emi about that."

"Ch, your band's gone right down the drain in style since we fired Marluxia." The girl said with a snort, reaching over to grab a new napkin. As she did so, she, too, caught sight of Roxas and froze for a moment, blinking. Forgetting her objective of obtaining another napkin, she let her hand drop and slowly slide back to her, not letting her eyes fall off the smaller boy.

Roxas was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable with the two gazes locked on him. Axel didn't seem to notice this, and the fourth member of the group didn't even seem to look up. Finally, someone spoke up.

"Who's your little friend?" The female asked with a sneer.

"This, my nymph, is my new friend." Axel replied simply. He turned to look at Roxas. "These are my friends. Larxene." He motioned to the female, who glared a little. "Demyx." He pointed at the other blonde, who frowned a little but said nothing. "Zexion." The steel-blue haired boy looked up from his book after having heard his name, and he locked eyes with Roxas for a brief moment before dropping his attention back to his book. "And guys, this is Roxas."

Upon hearing his name, Larxene's eyes widened from their glare, and Demyx's frown disappeared, his expression melting into that of worry. Zexion placed his bookmark in the book and shut the book, looking up at the boy once again.

"Is…?" Larxene began, to which Axel interrupted her.

"Yes. Which is why I think it'd be great if he had a couple of new friends."

Roxas was lost. What were they talking about? Why would it be so crucial that Roxas had more friends? Was there some memo he wasn't catching? He looked at Axel, his eyes screaming with confusion. Axel caught the gaze and offered a comforting smile.

Demyx pushed forward the tray of fries, which surprisingly still held quite a lot left. "Here, they're for the whole table, but it's usually only Axel and I who eat them." He smiled. Roxas blinked before reaching out to take a couple. He cautiously ate them, still a little bit confused at everything that happened.

"Roxas." Roxas's eyes snapped back over to Axel. "You should remember Demyx from the other night… Though, I suppose it would be hard to remember him since you were pretty far back in the audience."

Roxas looked at Demyx again and took a moment to look over his features. It then dawned on him that this was Axel's friend who had been on stage with the awesome instrument. Demyx's face exploded into a grin when he heard that Roxas had been there.

"What did you think of the performance?" He asked, his tone sounding like it was trying to contain the enthusiasm he felt.

"It was really good." Roxas replied, recalling the music he'd heard played at the concert. "Do you guys have any CDs out?"

"Not yet, but we're really working on it." Demyx crossed his fingers. "We hope to get our big break soon."

Throughout the rest of the lunch period, Roxas chatted casually with Demyx with an occasional word from Larxene or Axel. Zexion sat silently drinking his finally-opened soda, watching the boy across the table from him. Roxas didn't seem to realize how carefully Axel's friends seemed to be watching him, though he did notice their lingering gazes and couldn't help but wonder what they could mean.

Lunch soon came to an end, with the bell ringing, and the group separated. Axel walked with Roxas across the campus to Roxas's next class.

"I'll text you later, alright?" The red-head said to his short companion. Roxas gave a nod in response, which caused Axel's lips to split into a small smile. He reached out and ruffled Roxas's hair before departing down the hall. Roxas watched him leave and then dashed into the classroom just at the bell rang.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The end of the school day arrived and Roxas waited outside the front of the school for his brother and cousin. After five minutes of neither of them showing up, Roxas had to wonder if this was just a continuation of a really shitty day. He sighed and pulled out his cell phone. As he did so, his phone buzzed and he opened it to find he had a text from Cloud.

'_Helping out a teacher briefly. Shouldn't take more than fifteen or twenty minutes. Meet me at the car by 3:40.'_

He sighed and shut the phone. Sora didn't seem to be anywhere in sight, but Roxas assumed that Cloud had sent it to the both of them. To Roxas, it just seemed odd that the boy wasn't out there right away, like usual. Had he stayed behind to talk to a teacher?

"Roxas?"

The voice was soft and caused him to jump, since he hadn't heard the person coming up behind him. He turned around and looked down slightly to catch Naminé's eyes. He slowly looked down at her feet, which were covered in dirty, white sneakers that she'd gotten from the nurse's office. They seemed to completely clash with the pure, clean white that she normally wore, and for that he felt extremely bad.

"Naminé… I'm really sorry…" He apologized, biting his bottom lip slightly. The girl gave a small smile and shook her head.

"No harm done… I have another pair of sandals at home."

Roxas wasn't completely comforted by this comment, but he knew it would be pointless to try to say much more. However, with the pleasantries out of the way, he noticed that Naminé was actually speaking to him, without being distracted by her art or being forced to speak to him (like during class, when they worked together).

"Is… there something you needed?" Roxas couldn't help but ask. Naminé's eyes fell to the ground for a moment before she gave a small nod.

"Yes… Can we talk for a moment?" She looked back up at him, her eyes catching him off-guard. He had forgotten their intensity.

"S-sure…" He said hesitantly.

The small girl started to walk and Roxas only assumed that he should follow. They walked together until they came upon a small little area near the parking lot, where they wouldn't be interrupted since the fence next to them prevented students from using this path to get to the lot.

"So… what's up, Naminé?" Roxas asked after a minute or so of silence. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, her eyes locked on the ground beneath them before she took a deep breath and looked up.

"I… I don't think you should hang around Axel."

Roxas's eyebrow rose in confusion, his lips turning down at the corners to form a frown.

"What?"

"You don't know what you're getting yourself involved with. Axel and his group are trouble and you'll only be caught up in their mess if you continue to be around him."

Roxas paused for a moment, searching for her face for any indication as to why she might be saying something like this. At that moment, Roxas remembered something Axel had said on Saturday.

"Does this have anything to do with the disagreements between you and Axel?" He asked, to which her bright blue eyes widened in surprise. That comment seemed to catch her off-guard.

"What has Axel told you, Roxas?" She suddenly asked. The boy blinked for a moment before shrugging.

"Nothing really… He just said that you had disagreements, which is why you don't hang around his group at lunch or anything…"

"Is that all?"

"Why?"

Naminé seemed to hesitate before shaking her head. "Please, Roxas… I'm not trying to interfere with your life… But I really believe that if you continue your friendship with Axel, it will only end… badly." She hesitated at her last word, seeming worried to say it.

"Why would it be so bad? What's going on, Naminé?" Roxas took a step toward her, his eyes searching her face. She took a hesitant step back.

"Roxas… I want you to think about something. Axel, Larxene, Demyx, and Zexion… What do they have in common…?" She asked, her voice becoming very quiet. It was as if she didn't want anyone to hear them, almost as if she expected someone to be listening in.

"What do they have in common?" Roxas repeated, frowning a little. He didn't quite understand the meaning of her question.

"Please, Roxas… You have to think. The four of them have one crucial thing in common about them… Please, try to think harder…" Her tone was close to sounding pleading, as if this were very crucial for him to figure out. Her worry caused his heart to race. What could they have in common that he was missing? They all looked different, even if they did sort of dress alike. But he doubted it was their clothes that she was so concerned about him thinking about.

"Axel. Larxene. Demyx. Zexion." Naminé said the names again, her voice almost breaking when she spoke the last one. Roxas looked up to see her biting her bottom lip hard. "Please, Roxas… It's one thing they all have in common…. With you."

"With me…?" Roxas's eyebrows narrowed in confusion. "What could they have in common with me?"

"Oh God, Roxas…" She whispered, unable to raise her voice any louder. She dropped her gaze. "I… I can't say it. You have to figure it out. I've already said so much… I…" Her voice faded and she shut her eyes. He could see moisture gathering at the bottom and he realized she was close to crying.

"Naminé… Why is it so important that I figure this out?"

"Please!" She suddenly cried out, opening her eyes and looking up at him. A few tears fell around her from how fast she was moving her head.

"I don't know, Naminé!" Roxas cried out, his voice cracking a little in confusion and panic from her sudden outburst.

"Excuse me."

Roxas suddenly whipped around, nearly knocking himself off balance, at the voice he heard. He saw the steel-blue haired boy from before… Zexion. Yes, that was his name.

Naminé peeked around Roxas and bit her lip. "Nothing… We were just having a discussion." She gave a hollow smile, bringing her hands up to wipe her eyes. "I'll be leaving now. I apologize if we disturbed you…" She shifted her white purse on her shoulder and slid past Roxas, walking past Zexion and picking up her pace until she turned the corner.

When she was gone, Roxas looked back at Zexion. "Did we bother you…?" He asked, feeling bad for if they did.

"You did not disturb me. I was merely passing by when I heard loud voices. You seemed distressed, so I came over to investigate the issue. I apologize for interrupting."

Zexion had been the only one who hadn't talked at the table earlier. He spoke so softly and so formally that it had caught Roxas off-guard at first. He shook his head in response to the male's last comment.

"No, you weren't interrupting… I'm not entirely sure what was really going on…" He looked down for a moment.

There was a pause before Zexion spoke. "Are you alright?"

Roxas nodded and shifted his backpack. "Yeah. Just a little confused as to what just happened is all." He gave a weak attempt at a smile. Zexion merely nodded.

"Well, than I shall leave you be. I must be on my way. I suppose I shall see you some other time." He took his hand from the pocket of his jeans to give a small wave before turning to walk away from Roxas.

Roxas soon followed the male out of the area and made his way around the gate so he could start back toward the parking lot. He had no idea how much time had passed since he'd gotten the text from Cloud, but it felt like it'd been forever. Naminé's question still bothered him. What did they have in common that he wasn't seeming to understand…?

Sora was leaning up against the back of Cloud's car, chatting with someone next to him. At first, Roxas could only see Sora, but he assumed his brother was with someone judging from how his head was turned and his voice seemed to carry.

"I still can't believe she assigned such a long essay. It's just not fair!"

"I'm sure you'll be able to get it done if you pace yourself properly." A male's voice.

"But that's my problem! I can't pace myself… I always procrastinate…" Sora sounded sheepish admitting that last part. There was a light chuckle from the other person.

"I could always help you develop a schedule to work with."

"Would you really do that for me?" Sora's tone, and face, suddenly lit up.

"Sure, why not?"

"Oh, thank you, Riku!" Sora flung himself at the boy, hugging him. The boy laughed.

"It's what friends are for."

Riku… Wait… RIKU…

The name stuck in Roxas's mind and suddenly, Roxas could feel the rage that had built up when he'd seen how broken up Sora had been Saturday night. The blonde stormed over and found himself standing face-to-face with his brother and the silver haired male from the other night. A glare was focused on Riku.

Sora detached himself from Riku before noticing his brother's glare. "Roxas?"

"What the hell are you doing with that creep?" Roxas demanded, not taking his narrowed eyes off the silver haired male.

"Roxas! That's mean!" Sora said, stepping forward toward his brother. Roxas turned his glare to Sora.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it must be wrong of me to call the guy who molested my brother a creep. Is pervert a better word?" His voice dripped in heavy sarcasm.

"Roxas!"

"Don't worry about it, Sora." Riku suddenly spoke up. He looked at the blonde twin. "I'll leave if that's what he wants."

"How could you guess?" Roxas snapped.

"But you haven't done anything wrong, Riku…" Sora protested. Roxas exploded.

"He hasn't done anything wrong?! Then explain why you nearly cried after he left our house the other night. It certainly wasn't because you missed his company!"

"I-I didn't almost cry!" Sora tried to defend himself.

"Well, I damn well know that whatever happened must not have been mutual from how you freaked out about it, Sora." Roxas snapped again. Sora tried to speak, but he couldn't think of the right words to use.

"Look, I'll talk to you later, Sora." Riku turned to offer a small, uneasy smile in his brunette friend's direction before he picked his backpack up from the ground next to Cloud's back tire. He swung it onto his back and walked away. Had Roxas not been so angry, he would have almost been jealous of Riku's movements, walking as if he belonged on a runway, and not in some high school parking lot.

Once Riku was out of earshot, Sora turned back to his brother. "Roxas! What the hell was that?!"

"What do you think that was? That was me getting rid of the creep who practically tried to rape you the other night!"

"He didn't try to rape me, Roxas! It was an accident, and we've both discussed it and agreed that it was a mistake!"

"Doesn't fucking matter what you guys decide to call it. It happened and you were upset over it the other night. I haven't seen you cry since Mom was in the hospital, over seven years ago. You didn't even cry when all of your friends were crying at our going-away party back home."

"Look… We talked it over already… It was a mistake, Roxas… We're just friends, and we've agreed that it was a mistake… Please…" Sora's voice suddenly sounded so tired, and even his pleading wasn't as strong as it should have been. "Is it so bad for me to have friends?"

"It's not bad for you to have friends, Sora." Roxas sighed. "What's wrong with Hayner, Pence, and Olette?"

"They're my friends, too. So are Riku and Kairi, though... You have other friends, too, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"At lunch, you weren't at our table. And after school, you were talking to that girl from your art class."

Sora had seen that?

"Please, Roxas… I'm telling you, Riku's a good guy. Please… Can't you just trust my judgment?"

Roxas sighed. "…If I find out that creep tries to touch you inappropriately again, I will kick his fucking ass." He finally said. Sora's mouth broke into a large grin.

"Oh, thank you, Roxas~!" Sora cried out as he flung himself at his brother, hugging him tightly.

Soon after, Cloud showed up looking a little worn out.

"What in the world took so long?" Sora asked, pouting a little.

"I had to help a teacher move some desks in her room… And by some, I mean all the desks in her classroom… Let's just go home."

The twins obediently climbed into the back of Cloud's car and allowed the older teen to drive them home.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_I tried so hard… I fear there's nothing more that I can do to protect him…_

_How much longer will he last before he's finally caught? I tried to warn him. I tried to tell him that the flame would only burn him the longer he kept his hand in… It's now up to him to try and figure out my message. I will pray for him, because I can give him no more hints…_

_Soon, there will be two more additions to the collection. The one who controls nothing has had his eye on another, as well as on the light… It'll only be a short time before the other one is caught up and set to do his bidding… And I pray that the light will never go out…_

_God… Please save him…_


	8. Black Fate and Red Truths

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts and all related characters belong to Square Enix.**  
Rated:** T+ (15+)  
**Pairings:** (Main) Axel x Roxas, (Side) Riku x Sora, (Hints of) Zexion x Demyx / Leon x Cloud  
**Chapter Word Count:** 4,338  
**Total Word Count: **28,913  
**Beta'd by: **Karinta24

**Authoress Notes:** Sorry for such the delay in getting this chapter out. I didn't like the first version of this chapter, so I stopped writing it at about page four, took a two week break, sat down, and cranked out this in one sitting. Karinta thought it sounded alright, so I'm taking her word for it. I just hope everyone likes it. :3 And I think you all will really like near the end of the chapter. ;) So... How about we start?

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Black Fate and Red Truths**

That night, after the twins arrived home and went about their evening routine, Roxas couldn't get his mind off of the conversation he'd had with Naminé. She had seemed genuinely upset that he didn't understand what she was hinting at. That was what bothered him the most, he finally determined. If she was so worried and anxious for him to figure out what she meant, then why didn't she just go outright and tell him? What was the point of this guessing game?

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Tuesday was no better of a day than Monday. Roxas hardly slept at all the previous night due to the same question plaguing his mind over and over again.

What did Naminé mean?

Sora noticed his brother's fatigue and tried to question him about it, but Roxas wasn't in the mood. He simply ignored his brother's concerned looks and questions, and left the bedroom to go take his morning shower.

Classes that morning didn't seem to hold and significant meaning… other than the fact that Naminé was absent from art class. In the four weeks that Roxas had attended Radiant High School, Naminé had come to every class. He was sure that this had something to do with their conversation yesterday, and that didn't sit well with him.

By lunch time, he felt as though he'd gone through the whole day as a zombie. He didn't remember any of his morning lessons and he hardly even remembered how he got to the cafeteria and took a seat at the table with Sora, Hayner, Pence, and Olette. When he did look up from the table to look at everyone, he noticed that there was something different… And it didn't hit him until a couple of seconds later, when he saw red. But it wasn't the red he was accustomed to seeing…

A girl sat on the other side of Olette, chatting quietly with her. Her red hair fell to just about her shoulders and her bright blue eyes were focused on the girl next to her, taking in Olette's every word. She wore a simple pink dress with a few zippers on it, as well as some pink gummy bracelets around her thin wrists. Despite the obvious differences in colors, Roxas could almost confuse the girl to be Naminé, but he couldn't quite place why she reminded him so much of the mysterious girl in white.

Roxas turned to speak to his brother, only to see that Sora's attention was occupied by a silver haired somebody… Who Roxas immediately recognized as Riku. And if that boy was Riku, then Roxas could presume that the girl was most likely Kairi. But what were they doing at the lunch table? Last Roxas had checked, Sora had to go back and forth between the two sets of friends. He slowly shook his head and looked back down at the table, suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable.

When had he suddenly become the seventh wheel? Hayner and Pence were chatting about a video game that had come out recently, Olette and the girl Roxas figured was Kairi were talking about some girl thing (Roxas wasn't entirely sure what it was, all he knew was that they were giggling while they talked), and Sora and Riku were probably continuing their interrupted conversation from the previous day.

It was then that Roxas really realized that it didn't matter where he went. Whether he sat with the usual group or Axel's group, he was always the odd man out. And that realization left a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He got up from the lunch table, which attracted the attention of Olette, who stopped talking to look over. Her lips turned down into a small frown when she saw the troubled look on the blonde's face. He didn't bother to stay long enough for her to ask if something was wrong. He pushed away from the table and started to walk toward the exit of the cafeteria. He needed to be alone for a little bit…

Even without the newest addition of Riku and Kairi, Roxas had been the odd member of the group. He didn't know why he hadn't realized it before, but now that he had realized it, it wasn't something that he'd be forgetting anytime soon.

He walked through the near-empty halls of the school, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he watched the ground. Why did this bother him so much? It wasn't like this was any different than it had been back on Destiny Island. Hayner, Pence, and Olette were just the new Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie. Had Roxas really believed that things would have changed just because they moved?

Roxas was shaken from his negative thinking when he felt himself collide with something, and then heard a squeaky yelp. He looked up just in time to see whoever he'd bump into start to fall backward. He reached out to grab hold of their wrist and pull them back toward him. This led the person to collide right with his chest, but he managed to keep his balance as the person was smaller than he was.

"Are you okay?" Roxas asked, immediately feeling like an ass for not watching where he was going. The person in front of him looked up and Roxas was met with blue eyes that could have easily rivaled Sora's (which were pretty damn blue). He took these few milliseconds to look the person over a little more.

At first, Roxas was a little confused at the gender. The short-cropped black hair threw him off for a moment, considering the person also had a rather round face that could belong to either a girl or boy, especially if they were a freshman. However, as he stepped back just slightly in order to let the person stand on their own, he caught sight of the person's outfit. They wore a black tanktop with an unzipped jacket over top and a pair of jeans held up with belt. From the slight bulge in the chest, Roxas concluded that the person was a girl.

Those seconds passed and the girl spoke up. "I'm really sorry. I should have been watching where I was going." Yes, indeed a girl. No boy could have that high of a voice.

"That should be my line." Roxas replied with a small frown. "I guess I shouldn't give the floor my attention when I walk."

"I'm still sorry."

"Then I'm sorry, too."

There was a brief silence between them before the girl smiled and brought her hand up to brush some black bangs away from her face. Her other hand reached back to adjust the black and white backpack upon her back.

"Well, now that we've both determined that we're sorry… I'm Nio."

Roxas blinked before shrugging.

"Roxas."

"Ooh, that's a really cool name!" This had caused Roxas to jump slightly; that hadn't been something he was expecting.

"Thanks?" He said hesitantly, to which the girl gave a small laugh.

"Sorry if I scared you."

"Ehh…"

There was another silence between them and the girl nibbled a bit on her bottom lip, as if she were trying to think of something to say. She then looked back up at Roxas.

"Say, how come you're not at lunch?"

Roxas winced lightly, but brought himself to come up with a response. "I wasn't really hungry."

"Oh? Are you not feeling good?" Her expression melted into one of concern.

"Eh, something like that…" The blonde shrugged. The girl frowned a little before turning and grabbing her backpack, taking it off one shoulder so she could shuffle around the front pocket. It took her a couple of seconds to retrieve what she was after, and Roxas blinked as he found a piece of candy sitting in her small hand which was mere inches away from his chest.

"Candy always makes things better." She said with a bright smile. Roxas blinked again before slowly reaching out to accept the offered piece of candy. He gave her a small smile in return, to which she smiled even more.

"Thanks."

"No problem! So… Where you headed?"

That was something Roxas was unsure of. At first, he'd just left to blow off some steam. Now, however, he really didn't have an idea for a destination. He'd only been at the school for a month, so other than his classrooms and the P.E. locker room, Roxas hardly knew where anything was.

"No where, really…" He finally admitted.

"Well, we still have some time left during lunch… Maybe we could… hang out or something?" She seemed to hesitate in the offer, as if she were nervous to ask. Roxas blinked before shrugging and offering a small smile.

"Sure."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

From their brief little lunch encounter, Roxas had found out that Miss Nio Sato was a freshman (as Roxas had earlier guessed) and that she was originally from a small town outside of Hollow Bastion called Twilight Town. Roxas found that it was easy to connect with Nio, since they were both relatively new to the school and they were both from outside of Hollow Bastion. They'd spent much of the rest of the lunch period talking about their hometowns.

The rest of the school day was rather uneventful, and Roxas found himself bored through the rest of his classes. However, he was feeling a bit better than he'd been feeling before lunch. That talk with Nio really helped out, especially because her complete and undivided attention was on him, and he didn't feel like he was out of place. Maybe that's why it had been easier to be around Axel before, was because there hadn't been Larxene, Demyx, and Zexion to worry about.

The end of the school day arrived and Roxas left his last class. He had made it just outside the school before he felt his pocket vibrate. He pulled the cell phone from his pocket and found a text from Axel waiting to be read.

'_Missed you during lunch.'_

The simple text caused Roxas's cheeks to turn a dark pink. That certainly wasn't something he'd expected, and he wasn't sure how he'd go about responding to it. He was spared, though, as his phone vibrated again and he found a second text from Axel.

'_I found out some interesting information from Zexion yesterday. Meet me at Star Seeker Café?'_

Roxas thought this over for a moment, but his thoughts were cut off when his phone started ringing in his hand. Was Axel really that impatient? He looked back at his phone to find the caller ID said 'Sora'. Roxas raised an eyebrow, but clicked the green button to answer the call.

"Sora?"

"Hey, Roxas!"

"What's up."

"Not much… Just calling to tell you I won't be home right away, so tell Cloud to go ahead and leave without me."

"Why?"

"I'm going over to Kairi's house so we can work on a history project. I already called Mom and she said it was okay."

"Alright…"

"I'll see you tonight~!"

"Mmhmm. Bye."

Roxas hung up and he looked back at his text message. Without a second thought, he clicked the reply button.

'_Sure.'_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Star Seeker Café was a new café in town, only about two weeks old, but it was rising in popularity. What really made it unique was the whole inside was made to look like space. The ceiling was black and had glow in the dark stars all over it. Lights hung down over each table, each shaped like a different planet, and broke off to the bottom to give enough light on the table so the occupants could comfortably see.

Roxas and Axel were seated at a Venus table. Axel had a cup of coffee situated in front of him, while Roxas stirred his ice tea with his straw. Neither had really spoken since they met up, other than a quick greeting and a 'let's head inside'. Axel took a sip of his coffee before sitting back to lounge in his side of the booth.

"So, I heard Naminé talked to you yesterday."

Roxas didn't take his eyes off his ice tea. "What about it?"

"What'd you guys talk about?"

"What does it matter?"

"Geez, no reason to get all defensive on me…"

"No reason to stick your nose in my business." Roxas snapped before he realized he was acting way out of line. He sighed and stirred his drink again. "Sorry, bad day…"

"Obviously. What's on your mind, kid?"

Roxas wrinkled his nose at the nickname, but let it slide as he brought his tea to his lips. The cool liquid felt good on his tongue, and even better as it slid down his throat to his stomach.

"You ever get the feeling that you're the third wheel in a group?"

Axel raised his eyebrow. "Is that what's bothering you?"

Roxas turned to glare up at Axel. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Not at all." Axel brought up his hands in a defensive manner. "Why do you feel like a third wheel?"

Roxas was quiet for a moment, just staring down at his drink. He wasn't sure how to go about telling Axel exactly how he'd felt during lunch when he'd come to his realization. He didn't even know how Axel managed to get that first part out of him… but now that Roxas had let that slip out, there was no going back. With a sigh, he continued.

"At lunch today… I was sitting with my brother and his… our friends." He caught himself, but he really did feel like it was the first one. "Hayner and Pence, Olette and Kairi, Sora and Riku… I was the odd man out."

"Then how come you didn't come over and sit with us?" Axel asked, bringing his coffee back up to his lips.

"It wouldn't have been any different. I would still have made the group an odd number."

"I would have paid attention to you…" Axel said as he brought his cup back down, a small frown falling over his lips.

"At the time, I just wanted to get as far away from the cafeteria and those stupid thoughts as possible."

"Where did you go?"

"I wandered the halls for a little while before I ran into someone. We spent the rest of lunch together."

"Who?"

"You're getting nosey again, Axel."

Axel pouted, to which Roxas couldn't help but smile as he stirred his drink again. "Her name's Nio. She's a freshman, and a pretty cool person." He gave a shrug and took a sip of his drink.

"Ah." Was all Axel could really say to that. He drank some more of his coffee before leaning back forward so he could make some decent eye contact with Roxas. "So… Are you going to tell me about your conversation with Naminé yet?"

"Why does it matter?" Roxas asked, picking up his drink and taking a sip from the straw.

"Zexion said it had something to do with us."

"…How much did he hear?" This was something that very much interested Roxas, considering he hadn't gotten a chance to ask the quiet boy himself.

"Enough to know that Naminé is suggesting that you stay away from us and that there's something she wants you to figure out."

Roxas was quiet for a moment, just staring at the ice in his tea. He didn't even know what else to say. He was still trying to figure out what Naminé was trying to get him to figure out.

"Do you honestly not know what she means?"

"Is it really that simple of an answer?" Roxas looked up, a frown setting on his lips.

"Hm… Maybe not." Axel reached into his pocket and he pulled out a pen. He reached over to grab a napkin and brought it in front of him as he uncapped his pen. He wrote some stuff on the napkin before sliding it to Roxas. The smaller boy took it and let his eyes read over what was written. His name was written at the top of a list, with Axel, Larxene, Zexion, and Demyx's names beneath. Roxas frowned at first, about to ask Axel what this was all about, before his voice caught in his throat.

"_They're called Organization X for multiple reasons. For one, all of their members have the letter 'x' somewhere in their names…"_

This was the second time that Roxas remembered what Olette had said. He had been able to figure it out when he heard Xemnas and Axel's names, but why hadn't he been able to figure it out with the others? Maybe it was just the way their names were pronounced, that Roxas wasn't sure if there was or wasn't an 'x' in them…

He suddenly felt sick at this realization. Did this mean that they were members of Organization X?

"Roxas… What do you know about Organization X?" Axel asked, his voice dropping in volume.

"They… The members have the letter 'x' in their names, and that they've caused trouble around the city, which is why the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee is around…"

"Who told you that?" Axel brought his coffee up again to drink it. He was very calm about this whole thing, while Roxas was practically shaking in his seat.

"Olette and the others, after I disappeared from the group the day you saved me from Xemnas."

"Well, your friends were at least right about the minor detai-"

"Are you part of Organization X?" Roxas interrupted, unable to bring his eyes up from the table. He was afraid of the answer Axel might give, especially give how scared Hayner, Pence, and Olette had seemed when they thought that Roxas might have gotten caught up in Organization X's trouble.

"Currently, no. Previously, yeah..." Axel was honest.

Roxas swallowed hard and he brought his eyes to slowly glance up at Axel. "Why no more?"

"Larxene, Demyx, Zexion, and I left the Organization a couple of months ago. We're affectionately known as the Rebellion in their eyes."

"Are there more of you?"

"Well… Yes and no. There is one other member who left, and had left before us. But he's not part of our group."

"Why did you leave?"

"Xemnas let us in on his plans, and we didn't quite agree."

"His plans?"

"No… I'm not saying any more beyond that. You don't need to get mixed up in this shit." Axel's voice suddenly took on a rough edge. "That's why Larxene, Demyx, Zexion, and I are going to be looking out for you, to make sure they don't get you like they did us… We're marked and branded, so we're stuck with this hell, and we are NOT going to let this happen to you…"

"Marked and branded…?" Roxas asked, his voice weak.

Axel rolled up his sleeve on his right arm and pulled away his wrist band. On the soft underside of Axel's wrist, was a black tattoo.

VIII.

"Eight?"

"It's my number in the Organization. Starting with Xemnas, at number one, we're each given a number."

"What's the significance of the number…?"

Axel was quiet for a moment, sipping his coffee pensively. Roxas clutched his ice tea tightly, and he slightly light headed. He took in a deep breath, realizing he'd stopped breathing for a moment after he'd asked the question. Axel looked down at the cup in Roxas's hand.

"The number marks the order in which we entered the Organization. I was the eighth member. Each new member is given their number, and the number marks them as part of the Organization. Once you've been marked, you're never truly able to escape… Xemnas sees to that."

"What is Xemnas's importance?"

"He's number one. The leader… The creator of Organization X. He seeks out the members, and he marks them. His goal…" Axel paused and shook his head. "God, I shouldn't have even said this much… Maybe Naminé was right… You're getting in way over your head being with us…"

"No!" Roxas jerked forward, his hands reaching out to cling to Axel's closest hand. He didn't know why he'd done it, but his reflexes told him it was the right thing to do. He stared at his hands on Axel's, and swallowed hard. "No… I'm not going to stop being your friend just because of all this bullshit…"

"Rox…"

"No, Axel… I… I can't explain it, but… I feel like there's a reason we met, and a reason we've become friends. There's something about you… That…" He paused, unsure of how to word his next sentence. He swallowed. "There's something about you that draws me to you… And it would just feel wrong… for us to not be friends…"

Axel gazed at Roxas for a long moment before taking hold of one of the boy's hands, letting their fingers lace. It had been a comfortable and familiar gesture between them.

"I won't let them get you. I made my promise to protect you, and I intend to keep it." He gave a comforting smile toward Roxas, and the blonde couldn't help but give a small smile in return.

"Thanks…"

"No problem. Now, let's get out of here. It's getting pretty late and it's not really safe to be out after dark."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Roxas stood at his front door with Axel. They'd walked back to the house together, but as they had come to the porch, Roxas had led him over to a little area near the side of the house where a couch and coffee table sat. They sat together for a little while, since Roxas didn't exactly feel like letting Axel leave just yet. They talked about little things, nothing serious like before, and held hands between them.

"I feel bad that I've kept you here after dark now… Will you be alright to head home?" Roxas asked, looking at the taller male with concern.

"Ch, I'll be fine, Rox." Axel gave a small smile, but Roxas didn't seem convinced. "How about if I send you a text when I get back to my place, to let you know I made it home safe?"

"That'd certainly make me feel better." Roxas managed a weak smile. Axel gave him another smile and squeezed his hand before he stood up. Roxas clutched Axel's hand as he also stood up and he looked up at the older male. They just stood there together, holding hands and holding eye contact for what felt like forever. It felt almost like the first time they'd locked eyes, where only they existed, and no one else.

Roxas wasn't sure how or when it happened, all he knew was Axel was close and his breath was hot on his face. His heart beat faster and he dropped his eyes to Axel's mouth for just a second before bringing them back up to Axel's eyes. And that was all it took to make Axel lean in and capture Roxas's mouth with his.

The kiss sparked something within them both, as if there was something familiar about this interaction. Roxas stood up on his tiptoes, bringing his free hand up to clutch at the front of Axel's shirt to bring him closer. Their mouths moved roughly against each other, teeth crashing together, lips crushing close.

And suddenly, they found themselves separating quickly, moving a couple of feet away from each other as they stared at each other in shock. Suddenly, Sora's explanation of his and Riku's moment from the other night came to mind…

"I… I'll text you…" Axel said, turning his gaze away.

"Y-yeah…" Roxas replied. Axel turned and shoved his hands in his pockets, walking away from the house and down the street.

Roxas swallowed hard, unsure of what just happened. Was this how Sora had felt when he realized that he and Riku had been kissing? Had the look on Axel's face been the same one that Riku had? All these questions came to his mind, but he couldn't come up with a single answer.

He walked into the house, slowly making his way up to his bedroom. Sora was sitting on his bed, playing a game on his handheld device when Roxas came in to the room.

"Hey, Rox." Sora had greeted, not looking up from his game. However, after a couple of seconds with no response, Sora looked up. He immediately paused his game and got off his bed, walking over to Roxas's bed where his blonde twin had sat down. "Roxas…?"

"You remember what happened between you and Riku the other night?" Roxas asked, his voice quiet and his words slow and careful. Sora frowned a little and gave a slow nod.

"Yeah…? Why…?"

"I…I think Axel and I just had one of those moments…"

"Wh-what..?"

Roxas told Sora the story of what had happened when they'd gotten to the porch. Sora's eyes widened when he realized how close to his story Roxas's was.

"Sora… What's going on…?" Roxas asked, looking up with desperate eyes at his brother. Sora reached out and hugged his brother close.

"I don't know, Roxas… I just don't know…"

The brothers remained together for a long time in silence. It wasn't until Roxas's phone vibrated in his pocket. Roxas scrambled to pull out his phone and he opened it to find that the text he'd received was, indeed, from Axel.

'_I made my way home without dying. Now, go to bed, Rox…'_

Roxas's heart beat faster in his chest and he stared at the message for a couple of seconds before he replied.

'_Sleep well tonight, Ax. Goodnight.'_

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_The time is drawing near. The one who controls nothing and everything has set forth the secret weapon. The thirteenth member will join… And the prophecy will be complete._

_Will the flame be able to keep his promise? Not even I am able to foresee this…_

_It's time to reopen my sketch book… I see something resting on the horizon… Maybe it'll be the answer to my questions…_


	9. Sea Salt Blue and Absent Carmine

**Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts and all related characters belong to Square Enix.**  
Rated:** T+ (15+)  
**Pairings:** (Main) Axel x Roxas, (Side) Riku x Sora, (Hints of) Zexion x Demyx / Leon x Cloud  
**Chapter Word Count:** 5,163  
**Total Word Count: **34,076  
**Beta'd by: **Karinta24

**Authoress Notes:** Major writer's block has been eating my brains, which is why this chapter took so long to get out. I apologize for the delay, but it's been tough with summer college and beauty school... But I will prevail! Please enjoy the chapter (Which happens to be my longest, so far!)

**IMPORTANT NOTE: **As of October 7, 2010, this story is on a hiatus due to lack of ideas for this story. I apologize for inconvenience, but I have written myself into a hole that I'm not sure if I can write myself out of. I may come back again to work on this fiction, but there is a good chance that this might be the last chapter of Beneath the Blue Sky posted up. I hope I can be forgiven, and I hope my future stories will be able to make up for the incompletion of this story.

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Sea Salt Blue and Absent Carmine**

The next few days were uneventful, but at the same time, they held a lot of meaning. To begin with, Naminé still had not returned to school and that fact, alone, was driving Roxas insane. He had an answer to the riddle that she'd asked him, and now he wanted to discuss these facts with her. She knew that Axel and his friends were involved with Organization X, or at least had previously been. How would she have known that, and what was the danger in them? Wouldn't Hayner, Pence, and Olette have warned him if there was something wrong with the few times he'd had lunch with the Resistance? And what did the Resistance even mean? What did they represent for Organization X? What did Naminé know?

What was even worse, though, was the fact that Axel didn't return to school, either. After the day they kissed, Roxas hadn't seen Axel. When he texted him to ask where he'd been, Axel wouldn't reply. Roxas even went as far as calling Axel, but the older teen made the excuse that his phone was dying when Roxas asked the question. It hurt Roxas a lot that Axel wasn't being honest with him.

Wednesday and Thursday, Roxas had spent his lunches with Nio. The young freshman had spotted him by himself in the school hallway on Wednesday, the day after they'd met, and she asked if he'd like to have lunch with her. By Thursday, Roxas just waited until Nio came down the hall, and said no words as he walked with her to the cafeteria. Now, it was Friday, and he found himself in the hallway, his hands shoved in his pockets as he waited. It would be easy to just go suffer lunch with Sora and the others, but since Kairi and Riku started eating lunch with the group, he felt the distance between himself and his brother become even larger. Sora had all these friends, and Roxas felt isolated because he wasn't as social and charismatic as his twin. He had honestly tried to reach out of his comfort bubble, but he found that the Usual Group wasn't a group that he could reach to. He found it more comforting to be around Axel's group, Naminé, and Nio than to be with his brother and his friends.

"Roxas?"

A small voice broke Roxas from his thoughts. He blinked as his gaze fell down to meet a set of blue eyes. He couldn't help but feel a tug at his heart when he saw her eyes, because they reminded him so much of the blonde haired artist. The black haired girl blinked curiously up at him, tilting her head to the side before she frowned.

"Are you okay, Roxas?"

"Yeah… You ready to head to lunch?"

Nio watched him for a moment longer before she sighed and gave in, nodding to him. They walked in silence down the quiet corridor before turning the corner. The noise from the cafeteria could be heard from that corner and only became louder as they got closer to the doors. They went inside and found a short line. Once they had their food, they went back out into the hallway and made their way out to the outside courtyard. There were a few students scattered about, but they found somewhere to sit and started into their lunches.

"Roxas?" The blonde looked up at the girl. "Are you sure you're okay…?"

Roxas paused before shrugging, scooping some rice and chicken onto his fork and bringing it to his mouth. He ate the food before setting it down on the wall they were sitting at. "I guess I am.."

"What's wrong?"

Roxas glanced up at her before he shrugged again and looked out at the other people in the courtyard. "I'm… just a little homesick." Which was the truth, kind of; Roxas missed the simplicity of his home in Destiny Islands, where he wasn't mixed up with things like Organization X, and wasn't hurting people, like Naminé. He looked up when he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"It's natural to feel a little homesick, especially the longer you're away from your old home… But, I think you'll eventually become more used to Hollow Bastion." Nio offered a smile. Roxas stared at her for a moment before he mustered up a smile, nodding to her.

"Yeah…"

"Hey, are you busy after school today?"

Roxas shook his head, though he was a little confused by the question. "I don't think so… Why?"

"Well, I got free passes to go see that new movie, Breakfast at Daisy's, and I honestly don't know who really to take, because I'm still new here, myself… So…. I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go with me." She looked up nervously as she asked before her eyes widened and she flailed her arms in a defensive manner. "As friends, of course!" She quickly clarified.

Roxas blinked at her as he thought over the request. Nio watched him, nervousness clear in her eyes as she bit her bottom lip. She prepared to open her mouth and tell him to forget about it and it was stupid of her to ask, but he beat her to it.

"Sure, I'll go."

Her eyes opened wide. "R-really?"

"Yeah, why not? I have nothing else to do." He smiled at her, and she blinked at him once before a huge grin spread across her lips.

"Awesome! Did you want to meet at the theatre?"

"Hikari Theatre, right?" Nio nodded and Roxas gave a nod in return. "Yeah, we can meet there."

"Awesome! I can't wait!" She gave him another grin.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

That evening, Roxas prepared himself to head out for the evening. He changed into a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt under a button-up black over shirt. His black-and-white checkered wristband was secured on his left wrist, and his pointer and middle finger of his left hand were adorned with a black ring and a white ring, respectively. He pulled on his sneakers and shoved his cell phone and wallet into his pockets before he left the bedroom.

It was Friday, so naturally Sora was out with friends. It was different to see Roxas leaving on a Friday night without his brother, so naturally, Megumi blinked in a confused manner when her son started walking toward the door to head out of the house.

"Where you going, Roxas?" She asked curiously, leaning across the kitchen counter. Roxas glanced back at his mother with a bored expression.

"I'm going out with a friend tonight. She invited me to see a movie with her. I shouldn't be out late."

Megumi's eyes widened the moment she heard the feminine pronoun. Was her darling little Roxas going out on a _date_? Roxas saw the glint in his mother's eyes and quickly made it to the front door, escaping out it before she could ask him any more questions. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets as he walked through the lawn and onto the side walk. The sky was in the western portion of the sky and would most likely set by the time he met up with Nio at the theatre.

It took him about ten minutes to get there on foot, and when he arrived, he found he had gotten there before her, because she had told him to meet by the statue outside the theatre. He walked over to the statue and leaned up against it, patiently waiting for the girl to arrive. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of how this reminded him of school. And when he saw her, she smiled at him like she did in the school hallway and waved before picking up her pace to stand in front of him.

She was dressed in a white blouse that had a black sash below her chest that tied in the back, and a band of black material around the bottom of it, and a jean skirt that came to her mid-thigh. A pair of black and white striped leggings wrapped around her legs and a pair of flats covered her feet. Her smile was bright as she approached him, bringing her hand up to adjust the black-and-white flower hair clip that held her bangs away from her eyes.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Not at all." He looked her up and down before laughing. She frowned a little and looked down at her outfit, trying to see if she accidently forgot to put something on, or if she had something on her.

"What are you laughing at?"

"We're dressed the same."

Nio looked between their clothes, and noticed the similarities between their outfits. While they were wearing their own variations, they both had black and white patterns on their clothes, and he wore jean-pants while she wore a jean-skirt. She couldn't help but giggle as she, too, noticed this.

"Wow, I guess great minds think alike." She joked as they started to head toward the doors of the theatre.

"Definitely." He said with a smile as he stepped ahead to grab the door. Nio giggled again and gave him a mock-curtsy before heading in through the door. He followed her in and she walked up to the ticket counter to give the passes to the clerk. The clerk gave her two tickets to the movie and Nio came back to join Roxas. She had planned to head straight for the proper theatre room, but Roxas stopped her as he looked at the concession counter.

"Let me get you something, since you used your pass to get me here."

"H-hey, it's okay… You don't have to."

Roxas looked over at her, offering her a small smile and shaking his head. "Yeah, I know, but I want to. Makes it even between us. Come on." He nodded his head toward the counter and started walking over. The girl blushed a little before sighing and following him. Roxas paid for them to both get drinks and they headed into their proper theatre.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

After the movie, they took a walk through the new-town area. Life was bustling despite the late hour, such was the Zanarkand District of Hollow Bastion. They talked about the movie while they walked together, passing the different shops and the people that were out and about. Nio was laughing at something Roxas said when she noticed a shop up ahead, and her eyes lit up.

"Oh! Look, it's the ice cream shop!" She looked at Roxas. "How do you feel about ice cream?"

Roxas shrugged. "It's okay. Did you want to go get some?" When Nio nodded, he smiled and they walked together up to the shop. Nio went ahead inside and her eyes were anxiously scanning the overhead menu. Roxas followed her over and rose an eyebrow as he, too, started looking, but his eyes were immediately drawn back to the girl as she squealed happily.

"They have it! I can't believe they have it!"

He blinked at her before slowly looking back up at the menu. "They have what now?"

"There's this REALLY good ice cream that I used to eat a lot back home in Twilight Town. You HAVE to try it!" The girl ran up to the counter and smiled up at the cashier. "Two Sea Salt Ice Creams, please!" She asked for. It took a few minutes, but she paid for the two ice creams and brought one of them over to Roxas. The blonde haired boy looked down at the blue frozen treat before taking his plastic spoon. He poked it before looking up at Nio, who was looking at him with expectant eyes. He looked back down before taking a deep breath and scooping some of the ice cream onto the spoon. He plopped it into his mouth and ate it.

His eyes lit up. She was right; this was pretty good! Nio grinned when she saw the boy continue to eat it, and she joined him, eating her own, as they went outside to go find somewhere to sit down and enjoy their treats.

"So, you like it?" She asked, a joyful smile placed upon her lips. Roxas nodded and the smile only grew. "I'm glad! Not many people are able to eat it, but it's a popular desert that we used to eat in Twilight Town."

"Kind of reminds me of the Paopu juice we used to drink back in Destiny Islands."

"Oh?"

"It was pretty popular, but it was only available in the summer, when the Paopu fruits were overpopulating the islands. The rest of the year, they were pretty rare, and they were saved to be picked by men getting ready to propose to their girlfriends."

"Why did they have to get a Paopu fruit to do that?"

"Back on the islands, the Paopu fruit itself is a representation of destiny. If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what."

"Ohh, how romantic!" The girl gushed, and Roxas couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sure, something like that." He continued to eat his ice cream as she smiled. There was a comfortable silence that fell between them as they ate their ice creams together. And soon enough, they were finished and walking through the Zanarkand District once more.

"It's getting pretty late…" Nio commented as she looked up at the dark sky. Roxas looked up as well, and he couldn't help but wonder if Sora had made his way home yet, if he was to return home at all that night.

"We should probably be getting back home." Roxas said as they came upon a street that led back toward the neighborhood districts. Nio nodded and they were about to continue walking when they heard the sound of a low whistle behind them. They both turned and Nio squeaked as Roxas raised an eyebrow at the person behind them. He was quite tall with long black hair tied back in a ponytail, numerous silver streaks running through his hair. But what was really odd about this man were the scars on his face, and the eye patch over his right eye.

"So this is the guy?" The man said and Nio ran up to him, hitting his arm.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on our little protégé, of course." The man said with a smirk and he looked back over at Roxas. "He's pretty scrawny. Are we sure this is the one?"

"Ugh, you're going to be the end of us." The girl rolled her eyes and turned to look back at Roxas. "I'll see you at school on Monday, okay? My brother and I must be getting home." Nio grabbed the man's wrist and started dragging him off.

Roxas blinked at the scene, unsure of exactly what had just happened, but he sighed and shook his head as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Oh well, at least they were already headed in the direction of his house. He focused his eyes forward and continued the journey back home.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The rest of the weekend had passed by extremely slow for the blonde haired Irino twin. He had been restlessly waiting for his phone to vibrate and for it to be Axel, asking to hang out or something, but no such thing happened. He felt pretty pathetic, but he couldn't help but want Axel's companionship, even after their embarrassing encounter almost a whole week ago.

The first thing that signaled that that Monday would definitely be different from the past few days was the fact that Naminé was in class when he arrived to art that morning. He blinked a few times from the doorway before slowly entering the room and making his way to their shared desk. She was back to drawing, but her hair hid whatever was on the paper, and her face. She didn't stop drawing until the bell rang, and she snapped her sketch book shut as she slid it into her purse and pulled out a second one for class. It was then that Roxas was able to see the dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept in over a week.

"Are you okay?" Roxas finally asked when the bell rang to signal the end of class. The girl looked up at him, as if startled by his voice, but let a smile slide upon her lips. She gave a nod as she stood up, collecting her things and shoving them into her purse.

"Of course I am, Roxas." It had been a while since he'd heard that soft spoken voice. The girl noticed that he was still staring at her, a frown set on his lips and she widened her smile. "You worry too much." She shouldered her purse and turned to leave. Roxas stepped forward and touched her shoulder, causing her to turn with slightly wide eyes.

"I know what Axel's group and I have in common." He suddenly said, as if his mind had wired straight to his mouth without pausing to think it over. Her smile slowly faded until she was biting her bottom lip, looking forward so her back was to the boy.

"How…?"

"I talked to Axel about it."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Even after I told you to stay away from them for that very reason." She looked back at him, her eyes full of worry and concern. "They're dangerous, Roxas. They're part of Organization X, and that whole group is nothing but trouble."

"I know what Organization X is, Naminé. And besides, Axel and his friends aren't even active members." Roxas knew it was a long shot, and he hardly even knew what he was talking about, but Naminé didn't seemed convinced.

"What all do you know about Organization X, Roxas? Obviously not enough, or you'd understand why I'm so concerned for your safety."

Roxas stepped back lightly. She pinned him there… What did he know? He only knew the little things that the Usual Group had told him, and Axel refused to say anything on the matter. He was left in the dark, while everyone else knew something he didn't. His hands clenched into fists as he tried to control his temper.

"Then how about someone just fucking talks to me, instead of leaving me in the dark all the time? If this is all so dangerous for me, then how about someone explains what I'm supposed to be avoiding?"

Naminé just looked at him, suddenly at a loss for words. She finally diverted her eyes to the ground and let out a soft sigh. "I can't tell you yet… But I promise that the time will come soon."

He tightened his fists before grabbing his things and storming out of the classroom, leaving the pale girl to stare after him with sad, pained eyes.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"I so bombed that test!"

Nio sighed as she rested her chin on her knees, ignoring her lunch that set half-eaten next to her. She and Roxas were enjoying another normal afternoon of lunch, and it was the first time they'd gotten to see each other since Friday. Nio picked up her bowl and took a few more bites of her chicken before looking at the boy next to her.

"Are you okay, Roxas?" She asked, tilting her head to the side as she tried to get a btter look at his face.

"Just… a little ticked off at some bullshit going on."

"What happened?"

Roxas shook his head and sighed. "It's a long story… But the point is, people keep telling me how dangerous everything is, but they continue to dance around exactly what's so dangerous about it all. They won't give me any details, and I'm beginning to wonder if this whole Organization X bullshit is just a big ruse or something."

Nio's eyes widened and she set her food down to take his arm with both her hands.

"Don't say that, Roxas. Organization X is really, really bad… Their members would really hurt you if they heard you speaking bad about them."

Great, even the other transfer student knew about Organization X. He glared off to the side. "Then how about someone explains what's so bad about them?"

"They're like a cult, only accepting people with certain qualifications. Once you're in that cult, then there's only trouble. You lose all of your other friends and you begin working for their leader, causing trouble around the city."

Roxas looked up at her with a confused frown. "How do you know?"

"I know some people associated with the Organization. They were perfectly fine people until they joined up. Rumor has it that they're given special drugs to make them obey the Organization's leader." She shuddered. "It's creepy!"

Was that really all that was so bad about Organization X? Naminé and Axel made it sound like it was so much more… But why would Nio lie to him, unless she was just misinformed. But at least he got more answers out of her than the two people who claimed to care about him so much.

"Whatever… I just want them to leave me alone. I haven't done anything to provoke them."

"It's the X that draws them to you, Roxas. It's like a beckoning call to their superior. He's… pretty nuts." She gave a laugh, picking up her bowl again. "I wouldn't worry about it, though. Just stick around me! I'll keep you company when your friends are being mean." She gave him a bright smile before digging into her bowl, happily eating the mixture of rice and chicken.

Roxas just stared at her for a long moment before giving a small smile and nodding, turning back to his own bowl of food.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

When Roxas thought that the day couldn't get any longer, it certainly did its best to prove him wrong. As the school day came to an end, and Roxas walked out of the school, he ran straight into a pair of breasts. His eyes widened when he stumbled back, but the front of his shirt was grabbed and he suddenly met hard, electric green eyes. She stood tall, glaring down at him before turning and starting to drag him away from the school. He stumbled as he let out a yelp, but managed to keep his balance as he reached his hands to in an attempt to draw her hands away from him.

"Wh-where are you taking me?" He managed to asked, looking up at her with slight fear clear in his blue eyes.

"Axel wants to talk to you." Larxene snapped back at him. "Now shut up and walk." She let go of him, but kept walking. He paused for a moment, swallowing hard, but when she turned to glare back at him, he quickly moved his legs to start walking again.

Roxas was led out near the football field, and there, standing beneath the bleachers, was Axel. He was leaning up against one of the pillars that held up the bleachers, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the ground. He looked up at the sound of footsteps and stood straight when he saw Larxene approaching with Roxas. The girl stopped walking, but when Roxas went to stop as well, she reached behind him and shoved him forward toward the red head. With that, she turned and stormed off, leaving the boy alone with Axel.

Roxas watched her leave before he turned to look at the taller male. Axel's glare didn't falter, and it made Roxas feel a little nervous. Why was he looking at him like that?

"Who's the girl you've been so buddy-buddy with lately?" He asked, his tone cool and even. Roxas frowned; what did it matter who he'd been hanging out with?

"Her name is Nio. She's my friend that I've been having lunch with, since no one else had really been around." The blonde shrugged as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Well, you should stop. She's nothing but trouble."

Anger coursed through Roxas and the boy looked up to glare at the red head. "Oh really? Because I seem to hear a lot of that lately." He snapped. Axel's glare only narrowed as he stepped forward.

"I'm serious, Roxas. Something's not right about her."

"What would you even know? You haven't even met her before!"

"I've seen her with members of Organization X."

"Yeah, and I'm friends with Organization X members, too."

Axel let out a frustrated sound as he threw his hands up in the air. "I told you that we're no longer part of that shit."

"If Nio is such a bad person, then tell me why, Axel. Start telling me the truth, damnit!"

Axel suddenly stormed forward and grabbed Roxas by the front of the shirt. He turned to pin the boy up against the pillar he'd been previously leaning up against, and brought his face close to the boy's. Roxas's heart leapt into his throat, and he was sure that he'd stopped breathing as he stared up at Axel with wide eyes.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe, Roxas… I don't want to lose you to these people." Axel said, his voice much gentler than before.

"Keep me safe from what? Lose me to what?"

"Organization X will not rest until you're marked, just like the rest of us. They want to lay claim to you like they did to all the rest of us… I… I don't want anyone else to claim you… but me."

Roxas's eyes widened when he found Axel's mouth on his. His whole body froze as he tensed up. But Axel continued to move his lips sensually against Roxas's, slowly and carefully. He moved back to speak gently against Roxas's lips.

"I can't even begin to explain why I'm drawn to you, why I have this incredible urge to protect you and keep you by my side… But sometimes, it gets so bad it just wants to explode from my chest… Ever since I met you, I've seen visions, and I can't get them out of my head… All I know is they have something to do with you."

And Roxas knew exactly what Axel meant. He had those same dreams, and he felt that strange pull that drew him to Axel. He let his blue eyes slowly slide shut as he relaxed against the taller male, moving to step up on his tip toes and connect their mouths again. Axel pushed him further against the pillar, one hand sliding down Roxas's arm until it met his small hand, and he connected their hands, lacing their fingers together. His other hand moved to touch Roxas's waist, pulling him close. Roxas reached up and buried his fingers through that thick red hair, pulling Axel's mouth closer to him.

When they parted, they were both breathing harder, and they stared into each other's clouded eyes for a long moment, saying nothing and just remaining in their tight embrace. Slowly, Roxas brought his hands down to press against Axel's chest, but he didn't try to push the man away. Rather, he let his fingers curl and clutch the material of the shirt.

"Jealousy." Axel finally said, causing Roxas's eyes to shoot up and meet his. He looked confused and Axel chuckled. "I was jealous that you were spending so much time with this girl… I mean, sure, I do think she's a little suspicious… But… I couldn't help but feel jealous over how your attention was focused on her."

"Well, you were gone for almost a whole week, Axel… What was I supposed to do, eat by myself?" Roxas asked, a pout gracing his lips. Axel smiled and leaned down to gently kiss the pout away before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry… I just… I didn't know how to talk to you after what happened last week… I needed time to gather my thoughts…"

Roxas gazed up into deep green eyes and he bit his bottom lip lightly. Had it really been almost a week since he'd last experienced Axel's lips pressed against his? And had it really taken him only a week to accept what had happened, and embrace it again?

"This is all so confusing, Axel… We've hardly known each other two weeks… Yet here we are…"

"I think there's something more that's drawing us together… I don't know what it is, but I plan to find out someday."

The sincerity in Axel's eyes was all the comfort Roxas needed as he brought his hands up to pull Axel back down. Their lips connected again and they remained that way for a long time, just accepting each other's warmth and letting their hearts connect.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Axel took Roxas home and they stood on the front porch, their hands connected as Roxas looked up at other male.

"How about you come eat lunch with Nio and I tomorrow. I'm sure she wouldn't mind." The blonde offered. The red head bit his bottom lip, but upon looking down into those blue eyes, he couldn't find the heart to say no.

"I guess I could try…" He muttered, though he couldn't help the small smile that slid on his lips when Roxas grinned.

"Awesome. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Axel nodded and Roxas leaned up to gently press their mouths together in a quick kiss. Then, Roxas turned and walked into the house, leaving Axel to stare at the closed door for a long moment, before he smiled and shook his head, turning to leave and head in the direction of his own home.

Sora was playing his handheld game device again when Roxas came into the bedroom. The brunette glanced up at his brother and raised an eyebrow when he saw the content smile perched on his twin's lips.

"You sure look happy." He commented, to which Roxas shrugged as he kicked off his shoes and fell down on his bed.

"Mmhmm…" Roxas replied distantly as his eyes slid shut. So, okay, maybe not all Mondays were that bad…

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

_Everything is falling into place, and, to be honest… I'm a little scared. I've been told that this was inevitable, and there's nothing I can do to stop certain events from occurring… But at the same time, I just don't want to see the final product. My heart beats faster and my breath catches at the thought of having to bring that pen to skin one last time…_

_Will I be forgiven for what I do? It's doubtful… Even if I give everything, I will be hated for the things I must do, and the sacrifices I must make. And in the end, I don't know what would break my heart more…_

_The new beginning draws near._


End file.
